Happy Friday, Polygon readers!
Gran Turismo Movie Could Be No. 1 This Weekend At The US Box Office
25.08.2023 - 20:17 / gamespot.com / Eddie Makuch / David Harbour / Neill Blomkamp
The video game movie opened with $1.4 million in Thursday previews.
By Eddie Makuch on
The video game movie Gran Turismo from director Neill Blomkamp is now in theaters, and it's expected to have a chance at becoming the No. 1 film in the US. The movie earned $1.4 million in Thursday previews and is projected to earn between $12 million-$15 million this weekend in the US, according to Deadline.
The Gran Turismo movie was originally set for release on August 11 before Sony shifted it to August 25 to help avoid a clash with Barbie and Oppenheimer, which have proven to be very successful weeks after release. Sony already released Gran Turismo in major markets around the country for the past couple weekends and allowed press to post reviews to help generate buzz for the movie. Generating word of mouth for the film was important because actors are not allowed to do promotion during the ongoing Hollywood strikes.
Barbie was the No. 1 movie at the box office every weekend since it released on July 21, but the film was finally beaten by Blue Beetle this past weekend. Gran Turismo is competing with the Liam Neeson movie Retribution, which also releases today, August 25.
Something that could potentially limit Gran Turismo's first-weekend success at the box office is the fact that Sunday, August 27, is National Cinema Day--all movie tickets are $4, including for new releases like Gran Turismo.
The Gran Turismo movie is not based on the Gran Turismo game itself but instead the real-life story of a young man who enjoyed the Gran Turismo series so much that he helped use his fandom to become a real-life racecar driver. Archie Madekwe plays the «working class gamer» who teams up with a former driver played by David Harbour to learn the ropes.
Orlando Bloom is playing the villain, an «idealistic» motorsport executive. Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator, Blood Diamond) plays a character who believes the teen is wasting his time. «You think you can play a stupid video game about cars and you're gonna become a race car driver?!» he says in a trailer.
For more, check out what critics are saying about Gran Turismo.
Kazunori Yamauchi, the director of the Gran Turismo series and boss of developer Polyphony Digital, is an executive producer on the film, alongside Hermen Hulst from PlayStation Studios.
The Gran Turismo movie is produced in part by PlayStation Productions, the film and TV division of the gaming giant. In addition to Gran Turismo, PlayStation Productions is behind the upcoming Days Gone and Ghost of Tsushima movies, as well as the upcoming Twisted Metal, God of War, and Horizon TV series, as well as Season 2 of The Last of Us.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
thesixthaxis.com
07.09.2023 / 13:41
Play the Payday 3 open beta this weekend on Xbox and PC
Just a couple weeks away from launch, Starbreeze has announced that a Payday 3 open beta will take place this weekend across Steam and Xbox, running from 8th September to 11th September.
thesixthaxis.com
06.09.2023 / 20:21
Alone In The Dark has been delayed to January
Alone In the Dark has been delayed and will no longer be releasing on October 25th, THQ Nordic has confirmed. Instead a new release date of January 16th, 2024 has been given, with the game releasing on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The main reason given is because of the already busy release schedule of October, where other heavy hitters are due to release.
thesixthaxis.com
06.09.2023 / 09:05
Play the Payday 3 open beta this weekend on Xbox and PC
Just a couple weeks away from launch, Starbreeze has announced that a Payday 3 open beta will take place this weekend across Steam and Xbox, running from 8th September to 11th September.
thesixthaxis.com
06.09.2023 / 08:11
Alone In The Dark has been delayed to January
Alone In the Dark has been delayed and will no longer be releasing on October 25th, THQ Nordic has confirmed. Instead a new release date of January 16th, 2024 has been given, with the game releasing on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The main reason given is because of the already busy release schedule of October, where other heavy hitters are due to release.
engadget.com
29.08.2023 / 15:51
The 'Gran Turismo' movie can't help but be cringe
Not since The Wizard hyped up an entire generation for Super Mario Bros. 3 has a film about video games felt as naked a marketing ploy as Gran Turismo. Based on an improbable true story, the movie follows Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a 20-something Gran Turismo fanatic who wins a Nissan-sponsored contest to race professionally. Even more improbable (and this is technically a spoiler, but hell, it's also real life), he manages to hold his own in the racing world. The original story was already a dream marketing win for Nissan and Sony, but now the two companies can milk it once again to bolster the mythology of Gran Turismo. Don't call it a game – it's a driving simulator.
tech.hindustantimes.com
26.08.2023 / 02:23
What to stream this weekend: Adam Sandler, 'Star Wars: Ahsoka,' Tim McGraw and 'Honor Among Thieves'
Tim McGraw roars back with “Standing Room Only” and the “Mandalorian” spin-off “Star Wars: Ahsoka” are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you
polygon.com
26.08.2023 / 01:23
The Gran Turismo movie drives a real-life story into gamer cringe territory
A little way into the movie Gran Turismo, the unlikely brand extension of Sony’s sim racing games accidentally satirizes itself. “This whole thing is a marketing extravaganza!” excitable auto executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) shouts at salty racing coach Jack Salter (David Harbour). They’re aboard a helicopter wheeling above a racetrack, where Salter’s students in the GT Academy — a real-life program intended to turn players of Sony’s Gran Turismo games into actual racing drivers — are being put through their paces. The helicopter is an absurd bit of theater for the TV cameras, and Salter knows it. But he’s powerless to resist the marketing apparatus around him.
polygon.com
25.08.2023 / 22:19
The Flash, Meg 2, Past Lives, and every new movie to watch at home this weekend
Happy Friday, Polygon readers!
gamespot.com
24.08.2023 / 21:43
Gran Turismo Star David Harbour Wanted To "Make Fun Of Myself" With Film's Gamer Insults
«I know a lot about sitting in a video gaming chair playing video games,» Harbour joked.
polygon.com
24.08.2023 / 18:49
The Gran Turismo movie’s most important true story: Its hero really does love Kenny G
A decade ago, when Sony Pictures first announced its plan to adapt the PlayStation racing sim Gran Turismo into a movie, fans of the franchise were bemused. Two big questions — How? And why? — were quickly answered: The Gran Turismo movie would be based not on the video game, but on the real-life story of a player turned professional racer.
blog.playstation.com
24.08.2023 / 14:17
Gran Turismo movie Q&A: Jann Mardenborough’s “gamer to racer” story
We got to chat with Jann Mardenborough, the “gamer to racer” subject at the heart of the Gran Turismo movie, with topics ranging from his experience in GT Academy to stunt driving for the film about his incredible life.