Neill Blomkamp is being eyed to direct the Gran Turismo movie

It was announced earlier today that Sony Pictures was developing TV adaptations of three of their most popular video game franchises — God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Gran Turismo. It seems that one of those franchises will also be getting a feature film adaptation, and it’s definitely the one you’re expecting. That’s right, here comes the Gran Turismo movie!… wait, what?

Deadline has reported that Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions are developing a Gran Turismo movie based on the very popular video game series. The project is still very early in the development stages, but Deadline hears that Neill Blomkamp is being eyed to direct. Plot details are being kept under wraps at this time, but as the Gran Turismo games have no plot to speak of, this really will be a blank canvas for the creative team. This isn’t the first time that Sony has attempted to develop a Gran Turismo movie. Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) was once in talks to direct the project before it fell apart.

Neil Blomkamp is best known for directing District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, as well as a series of short films for his own Oats Studios. He most recently helmed Demonic, a low-budget horror film shot during the pandemic that followed a young woman exposed to terrifying demons at the root of a decades-old rift between mother and daughter. Blomkamp has found himself attached to several major projects over the years, including a Halo movie, an Alien sequel starring Sigourney Weaver, and a direct sequel to Robocop. He’s also working on a screenplay for District 10, the long-belated sequel to District 9.

Since debuting on the very first PlayStation back in 1997, the Gran Turismo franchise has developed a reputation as the most authentic driving simulator of its kind. The series has sold more than 85 million copies, making it the highest-selling video game franchise exclusive to PlayStation. The most recent installment, Gran Turismo 7, was released on PS4 and PS5 in March.