Daniel Radcliffe, of Harry Potter fame, is starring in a Grand Theft Auto movie. And before gamers rise up all over the world in celebration (surely, a Grand Theft Auto movie is something fans have wanted for years), be warned- this isn't quite the GTA adaptation most people are thinking of.
The movie is actually about the real-life man who created the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Sam Houser. The film will follow the conflict between Houser and Jack Thompson, the lawyer who pushed to have violent video games- and most specifically, Grand Theft Auto- banned from the market. IGN reports that the film will be directed by Owen Harris and will being filming on April 20.
Obviously, that's not quite what most GTA fans are thinking of when the words "Grand Theft Auto Movie" are announced to the world. But there could be a silver lining here. Video game movies are notorious for being not very good- despite some potentially contenders in the upcoming Warcraft (from Duncan Jones) and Assassin's Creed (starring Michael Fassbender) films, public perception of video game movies is extremely low. If Grand Theft Auto (the Daniel Radcliffe movie, that is) can garner some solid reviews, it may be more likely that a real Grand Theft Auto movie adaptation could be pushed into production.
And if so, which game is the most likely for adapting? Obviously, the two most successful recent outings for the franchise are GTA V and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Both of which would make excellent films. But it's also possible that the next game in the series, the rumored Grand Theft Auto 6, would be an even better film. As Rockstar has refused to divulge many details about the game, however, that's mostly up to speculation.
GTA V will be released on PC on April 14, 2015.
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