Learn more of the harrowing true story behind the racing video game adaptation with a new Gran Turismo trailer. Based on both the PlayStation franchise of the same name and the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the movie will explore the now-defunct GT Academy program in which players of the game competed to become professional racers sponsored by Nissan. Archie Madekwe leads the Gran Turismo cast as Mardenborough alongside Stranger Things' David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Darren Barnet, Djimon Hounsou, Geri Halliwell, Daniel Puig, Josha Stradowski and Thomas Kretschmann.
With less than a month remaining until it races to theaters, Sony Pictures has unveiled a new Gran Turismo trailer.
The trailer, as seen above, offers a deeper look at the upcoming racing adaptation, namely the true story of aspiring gamer Jann Mardenborough looking to make a name for himself in the actual racing field. Included in the Gran Turismo trailer is Mardenborough's harrowing crash that left him injured and put him on a path of redemption in the sport.
How Gran Turismo Is Adapting Its True Story
Unlike the majority of other video game adaptations, the creatives behind the Gran Turismo movie faced bringing a source material without any real story to the screen. Instead of trying to craft an original story in the vein of the poorly received Need for Speed movie, writers Jason Hall, Zach Baylin and Alex Tse have looked to the games' real-world impact with what was deemed a divisive effort, the GT Academy. Though embraced as an exciting opportunity by gamers, those in the racing community pushed back, feeling it diminished the training that goes into it.
The Gran Turismo trailers have leaned into the underdog story of Mardenborough, feeling more like Sylvester Stallone's Rocky as the gaming-obsessed teen looked to make a name for himself in the sport in spite of the various hurdles presented to him. Even his dynamic with Harbour's trainer Jack Salter evokes memories of Burt Young's Paulie, though the new trailer offers a better look at the heart behind the character as he begins to see the potential behind the young Mardenborough.
One of the more intriguing reveals from the new Gran Turismo trailer is the devastating crash Mardenborough gets in during a race. The British racer was involved in a harrowing accident in 2015's Nordschleife circuit at Nürburgring, in which one spectator was killed and others were hospitalized after his vehicle went airborne and vaulted the fence, while Mardenborough was left with minor injuries. It's currently unclear if the crash seen in the new trailer will be that of the 2015 event, but doing so would prove the movie isn't looking for a safe approach to adapting its true story.
Source: Sony
