A new trailer for Sony’s “Gran Turismo” movie was released on Tuesday, providing a better look at the video game-inspired movie.
Scheduled to hit theaters on August 11, “Gran Turismo” is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a British gamer-turned-racer who won his initial race seat through GT Academy, a competition organized by Nissan and Sony. The competition pitted gamers against each other in Sony’s “Gran Turismo” video game, with the prize being the chance to become a Nissan factory driver.
Fleshing out the story a bit from the teaser trailer released in January, the full-length trailer plays up the unlikeliness of a teenage gamer going on to compete against real-world professional drivers, with Mardenborough (played by Archie Madekwe) having to prove himself to a skeptical driving coach played by “Stranger Things” actor David Harbour. Also starring in the movie are Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou, and Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell.
There’s plenty of racing action, too, including both Gran Turismo game play and some shots meant to represent real competition. The liberal use of CGI means the two blur together a bit, however.
The real-life GT Academy ran from 2008 to 2016, but Mardenborough, the 2011 winner, was likely its highest-profile graduate. After winning the competition at just 19 years old, he went on to compete in the British GT Championship the following year. He also raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, finishing third in the LMP2 class in 2013, and failing to finish in 2015 driving the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo, the automaker’s doomed entry in the top LMP1 class.
Mardenborough’s career appears to have tapered off since then, but perhaps “Gran Turismo” will give his remarkable rise to the world of professional racing a Hollywood ending.
