Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions' film adaptation of Gran Turismo has just added its latest member to the cast roster. Orlando Bloom is all set to star in the upcoming film, alongside David Harbour and Archie Madekwe. News of the Lord of the Rings star’s involvement in the upcoming film has his fans celebrating.
The Gran Turismo film was announced in June 2022, and since then, the studio has been regularly updating fans of any additions to the cast. While Bloom has just been added to the roster, Harbour's involvement in Gran Turismo was announced just two days ago, and Madekwe was revealed as one of the lead stars the next day. It seems like the studio is gearing up toward production, and it remains to be seen whether any more additions will be announced in the coming days.
News of Bloom's inclusion in the Gran Turismo cast was first shared by The Hollywood Reporter. The film will be an adaptation of the extremely popular game franchise that began its journey in 1997. However, the plot is based on a true story that is being dubbed the “ultimate wish fulfillment tale” and focuses on a teenage Gran Turismo player who managed to first win several competitions, and ended up becoming “an actual professional race car driver.”
Madekwe, who has previously worked with Jason Momoa in the dystopian series See, will be in the driver’s seat and portray the role of the teenage gamer. Harbour will portray the role of a retired driver who teaches him how to drive. Bloom, on the other hand, will play a “hungry marketing executive who is selling the sport of motor racing.” Shooting is expected to commence next week in Europe. The project is being directed by Neill Blomkamp of District 9 fame, and the script and screenplay were written by Jason Hall, who will also be executive producing.
Created by Kazunori Yamauchi, who is one of the executive producers of the film, the first Gran Turismo game received fantastic reviews from gamers for being able to create one of the most authentic racing experiences. Even though the game was first released more than two decades ago, gaming enthusiasts praised it for its graphics and how it incorporated real-world physics into the driving simulator. Since its launch, the franchise has sold over 85 million units around the world, which includes 12 different games. The latest in the franchise is Gran Turismo 7, which was released on the PlayStation 5 in March of this year.
Gran Turismo is scheduled to premiere in theaters on August 11, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter