Gran Turismo Jann Mardenborough Calls His Story Becoming a Movie Unbelievable (Exclusive)

The man at the center of the Gran Turismo movie is still in disbelief that his story is a summer blockbuster film. Over the last few years, we've seen a huge spike in video game adaptations. Hollywood seems to have finally figured out how to adapt video games into films and television shows by carefully transitioning the source material between mediums and bringing the stories to new audiences. PlayStation has even built its own production company to oversee more of these adaptations to ensure that they're more or less approved by the creators of these games and feel like they can cater to both gamers and wider audiences who aren't as familiar with the source material.

However, the Gran Turismo movie is a unique case. The games notably have no story, they're racing simulators that focus on getting the fine details of the racing experience absolutely perfect. PlayStation thought outside the box and realized it could adapt the story of Jann Mardenborough, a young Gran Turismo fan who honed his skills in the game and was able to kickstart a life as a successful racer. When speaking with ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis, Jann Mardenborough noted that he still has a hard time believing it's all real.

"[It's] not believable. When I first bought my first car in Gran Turismo 1 when I was 8, it was a pink Mitsubishi GT 1, if I would've spoken to that kid back then and said 'In 11 years time, you're gonna use this game Gran Turismo 5, and you're going to become a racing driver after this competition. He'd be like 'no way'."

It's a pretty unique angle and ensures that it keeps the genre of video game adaptations feeling fresh. The early reviews for Gran Turismo have been mixed, but as we get closer to release, it's likely more reviews will continue to affect the overall consensus. The movie's Rotten Tomatoes score sits in the high 50s, but that could change as more reviews come out.

Gran Turismo hits theaters on August 25th.