We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
Sony announced last week that it is actively working on a Gran Turismo TV show alongside movie and television adaptations of nine other PlayStation game franchises. While a show based on a historically narrative-free racing game may seem like an odd move, I think it’s the one PS TV/movie project that presents the most creative freedom. The company hasn’t released any details into what the supposedly upcoming GT TV show will be or look like, but there are multiple ways this could play out unlike, say, the God of War show which will obviously tell the story of Kratos.
Many may not know this but Gran Turismo was set to become a movie once before. Almost a decade ago, creators announced plans to make a film based on the life of Lucas Ordóñez, the inaugural winner of the game’s GT Academy tournament who went on to a podium finish at Le Mans in real life. That’s one way to do it.
Another, more meta angle that I personally would find interesting would be a dramatized account of how the first Gran Turismo game was created. Before Polyphony Digital was a big-time Sony studio with hundreds of employees, the original GT was made by a tiny team of five who famously did not leave the office for very long or very often. “I went home two days ago. I usually go home twice a week,” a visibly younger GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi says to PlayStation Underground in this old behind-the-scenes footage. To me, Kaz has always come off as the sort of dude who’s got capital-S stories to tell.
“I put the best car I ever owned in the game, I bought it just after college. A Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R. Unfortunately, in real life, my car passed away after a huge crash. I feel like crying when I see it in the game. I was taking a turn at 130 mph and tailslid three-to-four hundred yards bouncing rail to rail. When I finally stopped, the entire piece of the car in front of me was gone,” he says, laughing. See what I mean?
So, think The Social Network but instead of nerdy white dudes threatening democracy, it’s nerdy Japanese dudes modeling (and occasionally crashing) Nissan Skylines.
But what do you think? What should the Gran Turismo TV show be about?
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
