Two days ago, I asked myself an important question: What is Orlando Bloom (Carnival Row, Pirates of the Caribbean) up to these days? I shit you not. Then, word comes in that Bloom will star opposite David Harbour in the Neill Blomkamp-directed adaptation of Gran Turismo. Did I manifest this? Probably not, but I’m going to pretend this is my doing, at least for today.
Produced by PlayStation Production’s Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Doug Belgrad, and Dana Brunetti, Gran Turismo boasts a screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylan. Kazunori Yamauchi, who created the game, executive produces alongside Hall. Word around the water cooler is Gran Turismo is based on a true story. The project is “the ultimate wish-fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.”
Sony’s Gran Turismo franchise has sold 80 million copies worldwide, with the latest installment, Gran Turismo 7, released on March 4, 2022. Despite making the ultimate Gran Turismo experience in Gran Turismo 7, the game upset dedicated players by introducing an exploitative monetization system. Sony quickly scrambled to pump the brakes on the complaints, finding themselves more at odds with players than before. I guess that happens when you try to take your fanbase for a ride.
Further details about Gran Turismo‘s story are being kept underneath the hood, nor do we know who Harbour and Bloom will play in the film. The upside is that Sony Pictures can take Gran Turismo anywhere on the big screen. It fascinates me that Blomkamp and company were inspired by a true story for this project, as any car-related plot would have sufficed. Pulling from real life gives the project an edge, and my curiosity is officially piqued.
What do you think about Orlando Bloom joining the cast of Blomkamp’s Gran Turismo? Let us know in the comments.