News: Gran Turismo Film’s Live-Action Adaptation Surpasses US$17.3 Million in North American Opening Weekend

The Box Office Mojo website is estimating a Friday-Sunday opening weekend earning of US$17.3 million for the live-action Gran Turismo film, adapted from the PlayStation video game series, in North America. The site lists the film at #1, overtaking the Barbie movie, which previously held the spot. The film is estimated to have earned US$36.5 million internationally.

Sony Pictures released the film in the United States and Canada on August 25, after delaying the film from its original release date of August 11 due to the ongoing writer and actor strikes in Hollywood.

Sony Pictures describes the film as follows:

Gran Turismo is based on the unbelievable true story of a team of unlikely underdogs – a struggling working-class gamer (Archie Madekwe), a failed former racecar driver (David Harbour), and an idealistic motorsport executive (Orlando Bloom). Together, they risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world. Gran Turismo is an inspiring, thrilling, and action-packed story that proves that nothing is impossible when you’re fueled from within.

Columbia Pictures developed the film. Jason Hall (American Sniper) penned the script. Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions are producers alongside Doug Belgrad and Dana Brunetti. The film stars David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner, and Djimon Hounsou.

Sony first launched the project to develop the racing simulator series into a film in 2013. At that time, Fifty Shades of Grey producers Mike De Luca and Dana Brunetti were producing the project, with Sony executives Elizabeth Cantillon, DeVon Franklin, and Hannah Minghella also involved.

The racing simulation franchise debuted on the original PlayStation console in 1997 and has since sold 85 million copies. The most recent title, Gran Turismo 7, shipped for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in March 2022.

Nissan and Sony Interactive Entertainment previously produced the GT Academy program that took Gran Turismo players and provided them an opportunity to become real-life professional racers. The series produced a number of successful drivers during its 2008 to 2016 run.

Sources: Box Office Mojo (link 2), The Numbers, Gran Turismo’s official site, Collider (Erick Massoto)