Gran Turismo Movie Casts The Lord of The Rings Actor Orlando Bloom

The upcoming Gran Turismo movie from director Neill Blomkamp has cast The Lord of the Rings actor Orlando Bloom in a pivotal role. The Gran Turismo series isn't exactly known for having much of a story, it's far more about the visual fidelity, the incredibly slick and realistic driving, the immense attention to detail, and so on. There aren't any iconic characters besides cars in the series, so when word of a Gran Turismo film got out, many began to wonder what that would even look like. With renowned sci-fi director Neill Blomkamp behind the camera, the film immediately has some kind of credibility as he's not exactly a director for hire.

The film's cast is also suggesting there's something more to it than cool cars going vroom. Earlier this week, it was reported that Stranger Things star David Harbour was cast as a retired driver who teaches the film's teen protagonist how to drive. Now, the film is adding another A-lister with Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bloom plays a "hungry marketing exec" who is trying to sell the sport of motor racing, but also has a soft spot for it as an art form as well. As of right now, it's unclear if he's an antagonist of some kind or if he will be on the side of the protagonist of the film. The Gran Turismo movie is currently slated to begin shooting in Europe next week.

The Gran Turismo film will follow a teenage fan and player of the Gran Turismo games as he translates his virtual driving skills to real life to win a series of competitions and become a real racecar driver. The film seems to be inspired by the true story of Jann Mardenborough who went through pretty much the exact same thing. As of right now, the film is scheduled to release next summer.

Gran Turismo will release on August 11th, 2023. What do you think of the film's cast so far? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.