Sony Pictures Entertainment has released a new trailer for the upcoming Gran Turismo movie, which tells the true story of a gaming prodigy turned racer.
The latest trailer gives us a glimpse of what we can expect, and frankly, it looks like it will be worth the wait. For younger gearheads, it was the iconic PlayStation game Gran Turismo that nurtured our love for cars. Firing up your console and being able to race the world's finest cars on a superb selection of circuits is great, but for many, it doesn't go much further than that.
Gran Turismo (the movie) is based on a true story and tells the tale of a lucky individual who gets the opportunity of a lifetime. Through the GT Academy competition, which sought to transform the world's best players into bona fide racing drivers, Jann Mardenborough managed to make it big - but not before overcoming some extraordinary challenges.
Without giving too much away, the latest trailer tells the story, albeit briefly. Mardenborough (played by Archie Madekwe) is your run-of-the-mill teenager who loves gaming. He's got a knack for it, though, and finds himself in the aforementioned GT Academy.
It's quite the story. In reality, Mardenborough bested 90,000 applicants and became the third-ever winner of the competition. As of today, he's still the youngest competitor to win the GT Academy competition. Over the years, he has enjoyed an impressive career, and it all began by racing for Nissan at the Dubai 24-Hour event. He later competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he finished third in the LMP2 class - not bad for a Le Mans debut.
Gran Turismo is a story of tenacity, grit, and determination.
A star-studded cast - including Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou, and Geri Halliwell-Horner - bring gravitas to the film, while renowned car personality and YouTuber Emilia Hartford will also make an appearance. Gearheads will be more interested in the wheeled stars, and it seems that Gran Turismo won't disappoint on that front. The Nissan GT-R will play an essential role, but we also spotted a Lamborghini Huracan, along with Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Porsche racecars.
Directed by Neill Blomkamp (of District 9 fame), Gran Turismo is expected to hit theaters in August. It's incredible to think it's all inspired by real events, none of which would have been possible without the video game itself. While we've seen movie adaptations of racing games before, we're guessing this will be a touch more riveting (and believable) than 2014's Need for Speed was. Hopefully, it lives up to the hype.