The Big Picture
- Sony’s Gran Turismo film opened in 30 international markets and earned $10.7 million in total.
- The top-performing markets were France, the U.K., Australia, and Germany.
- The film is based on the popular PlayStation racing video game series and follows the story of a gamer-turned-race car driver.
Although the release of Sony’s video game adaptation Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story was delayed in the U.S., the film opened in 30 international markets this weekend and achieved decent results. Sony aims to generate positive buzz before its domestic release on August 25. Gran Turismo was originally scheduled to premiere in the U.S. this weekend, but its release date was changed late in the game, leaving Universal’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter as the only wide release available.
Gran Turismo grossed $10.7 million from international territories, with France leading the pack at $2.3 million, followed by the U.K. at $1.3 million, and Australia and Germany at $1 million each. The movie will soon release in Brazil and Mexico on August 24, North America on August 25, China on September 1, Japan on September 15, and Italy and South Korea on September 20. While the film is based on the long-running PlayStation racing video game series, Sony portrays it as an inspirational sports drama inspired by true events, similar to Cinderella Man. Gran Turismo tells the story of Jann Mardenborough (portrayed by Archie Madekwe), who transitioned from playing the video game at home to becoming a real race car driver. Reviews for the film have been mixed, with Collider’s Ross Bonaime stating in his review that the movie “swerves into clichés.”
Gran Turismo is directed by Neill Blomkamp, who gained acclaim with his debut film District 9 and subsequently directed Elysium, Chappie, and the low-key horror title Demonic. Despite his previous success, Blomkamp’s career has been relatively quiet in recent years. He was also attached to direct an Alien feature, but that project fell apart.