Gran Turismo (2023)
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A teenage gamer overcomes obstacles to transition from the virtual world of racing simulators to the high-stakes reality of professional motorsports.
The story
Following a pitch by marketing executive Danny Moore, Nissan establishes the GT Academy to recruit skilled players of the racing simulator Gran Turismo and transform them into real racing drivers. Danny enlists former driver-turned-mechanic Jack Salter to train the players. Among the recruits is Jann Mardenborough, a teenage gamer from Cardiff who dreams of becoming a professional racing driver despite his father's disapproval. After setting a time record, Jann becomes eligible for the academy. He must navigate the rigorous training and competition to prove his skills and secure a spot in the professional racing world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being selected for the GT Academy, Jann Mardenborough must compete against other students, including his rival Matty Davis. While Danny Moore prefers Matty for his commercial appeal, Jack Salter insists on selecting Jann. Jann eventually secures a spot and a contract with Nissan after a series of qualifying races. However, his journey is marred by a traumatic accident at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, where his car crashes and kills a spectator. Despite his reluctance to continue, Jack encourages him to return. To prove the worth of sim drivers, Danny organizes a team including Matty and Antonio Cruz to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. During the race, despite a mechanical issue and a challenging track, Jann utilizes racing lines learned from the video game to regain his position and ultimately secures a podium finish for Nissan.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 134
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Neill Blomkamp
- Writers
- Jason Hall · screenplay; Zach Baylin · screenplay; Jason Hall · story; Alex Tse · story
- Cast and characters
- Archie Madekwe · Jann Mardenborough; David Harbour · Jack Salter; Orlando Bloom · Danny Moore; Darren Barnet · Matty Davis; Geri Halliwell Horner · Lesley Mardenborough; Djimon Hounsou · Steve Mardenborough; Takehiro Hira · Kazunori Yamauchi; Josha Stradowski · Nicholas Capa
- Genres
- biographical; sports drama
- Themes
- determination; overcoming adversity; virtual vs. reality
- Tone and mood
- dramatic; inspiring
- Setting
- Various international racing locations including Cardiff, Austria, Spain, Dubai, Tokyo, and the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
- Premise and plot tags
- based on true events; sports; video game adaptation
- Source material / true-story basis
- Gran Turismo video game series
- Franchise connections
- Gran Turismo
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the direction and racing sequences but criticized the writing and the inclusion of a tragic real-life accident as a narrative device.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 90% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Best Adaptation · The Game Awards 2023 · 2023 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film's production was delayed in the US due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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