Rockstar Games turned down multiple offers for GTA and Red Dead Redemption movies

Last Updated on July 2, 2024

It’s hard not to play the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption games and not wonder what live-action adaptations would be like. Then again, the games are so cinematic to begin with that it all seems so unwarranted. And that’s just the feeling that Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has, saying he has been asked numerous times by studio honchos about bringing GTA and more from Vinewood to Hollywood.

As Houser recalled, he was told by executives that there could be potential in making movies from GTA and other Rockstar Games properties, to which Houser replied, “And we’d be like, no, what you’ve described is you making a movie and us having no control and taking a huge risk that we’re going to end up paying for with something that belongs to us.”

Despite the constant push for Rockstar Games movies, Houser and his team consistently turned down any offers while he was still with the company (he left in 2020), no matter how many Oppressor Mk IIs they could have bought with the payday. “They thought we’d be blinded by the lights and that just wasn’t the case. We had what we considered to be multi-billion-dollar IP, and the economics never made sense. The risk never made sense. In those days, the perception was that games made poor-quality movies.” While he did note that it’s a completely different time now and pre-established properties can be adapted to great acclaim (see: The Last of Us), it’s just not part of Rockstar’s plan.

So what is? Well, Grand Theft Auto VI, for one, which is set to be released in the Fall of next year. Hype is strong enough there – the trailer hit 90+ million views in the first 24 hours – that the idea of Rockstar Games even considering turning the series into a movie seems pointless. Based on the trailer, it looks to be the company’s most insane GTA outing yet, also showing the series will make do just fine without Houser.

Do you think Rockstar Games should turn any of their properties into movies or would these inevitably be unfulfilling adaptations? Would any missions make for great big screen action? Give us your take below!