David Harbour set to star in Gran Turismo film directed by Neil Blomkamp

Stranger Things star David Harbour has been cast in the upcoming Gran Turismo film adaptation set to tell the story of how a teenage gamer blossomed into a professional racecar driver.

From The Upside Down to the racetrack. David Harbour is set to appear in the upcoming Gran Turismo adaptation from Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

While the iconic racing sim isn’t best known for its storylines, rather its highly polished and extraordinarily detailed racecar experience, the film instead looks to tell a story from the real world. It revolved around a Gran Turismo player that takes their in-game skills to the tarmac and becomes a real professional driver.

Throughout this story, the teenage player looks to a retired driver to show them the ropes. Enter Harbour. The Stranger Things detective turned Black Widow superhero has been cast in this mentor role.

Little else is known about the project at this stage, given it’s still in pre-production. However, we do know Neil Blomkamp is already attached to direct the movie. A departure from his typical sci-fi romps like District 9 or Elysium, the South African-Canadian director now has a more grounded story ahead of him.

As for the leading role, it’s yet to be determined who will portray the impressive Gran Turismo player before getting behind an actual wheel. Thus far, Harbour is the only reported cast member for the project.

Gran Turismo is just one part of an ambitious plan for Sony to take its biggest gaming properties and put them on the big screen. Uncharted kicked off the new endeavor in early 2022 to a mixed reception. Adaptations for Days Gone, Ghost of Tsushima, Gravity Rush, and Jak and Daxter have all been announced.

Meanwhile on the silver screen, PlayStation Productions greenlit The Last of Us under HBO, a God of War series with Amazon, a Horizon show for Netflix, and even a Twisted Metal adaptation on Peacock.

The Gran Turismo flick is expected to hit theaters on August 11, 2023.