“Gran Turismo has all the qualities of a great underdog sports story,” says producer Doug Belgrad of the film based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, one of the unlikeliest racecar drivers of all time.
Director Neill Blomkamp, whose credits include District 9 and Elysium, says that Jann makes a compelling character because his real-life story is an unbelievable series of dreams coming true. Like a lot of young adults, Jann seems more interested in playing videogames than with making something of his life, until he’s given a chance to play for real. “Jann is playing ‘Gran Turismo’ in his parents’ house when all of a sudden – after years – he sees the option for GT Academy,” Blomkamp explains. “Only then did he learn how to drive proper cars – how to hit an apex and exit a corner – everything he’d done intuitively inside the game, but had never been taught.”
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