From “Five Nights at Freddy’s” to “Warcraft” to “Assassin’s Creed“, a number of popular video game franchises have been receiving the Hollywood treatment as they will be made into live-action feature films soon.
Following the success of video game-based movies like “Tomb Raider” and “Resident Evil“, BBC Films is set to develop a drama about the top-selling video game franchise, “Graft Theft Auto”. It will revolve around a fight between the creator of GTA and a Miami lawyer who wanted to ban video game violence.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Harry Potter” franchise star Daniel Radcliffe is in talks to star in the movie as Sam Houser, the co-founder and president of Rockstar Games.
Based in New York City, Rockstar Game is known for publishing various popular video game franchises, including GTA, “Max Payne”, “Manhunt”, “Midnight Club”, “Red Dead”, etc. However, Houser’s company came under repeated attacks from Jack Thompson, an activist attorney who waged a legal war against the company for the glorification of violence in the video game series.
GTA Creator – Sam Houser / Image source: BAFTA
During Thompson’s time as an attorney, he is known for his legal efforts against what he perceives as obscenity in modern culture, including rap music, the Howard Stern show, and the Neil Rogers show. He is also an anti-video-game activist, particular violence and sex in video games. In July 2008, he was disbarred by the Supreme Court of Florida for inappropriate conduct.
Thompson’s role has not been cast yet, but British filmmaker Owen Harris, who is best known for his work in “Black Mirror” and “Misfits”, is set to direct the film based on a script written by James Wood. Jim Spencer will produce while Mark Hedgecoe will exec produce.
The movie was previously titled “Rockstar Games”, but the studio may change the title again.
Image source: samepageteam.com
The movie, which is based on David Kushner’s book “Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto”, will begin shooting 20th April.
Radcliffe will be seen next in Fox’s “Victor Frankenstein” and the sequel to Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me“.
(Source: THR)