Director Neill Blomkamp on Creating a Whole New Kind of Sports Drama With Gran Turismo

When we first heard that the iconic racing sim series Gran Turismo was being made into a film, we didn't know quite what to expect, but the new based-on-a-true story sports drama is a winner through and through.

Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story isn't just about the game but the real people whose lives it touched, including the film's hero, Jann Mardenborough. Jann was just a teen when his top-level driving skills within the game gave him the chance to become a pro racecar driver. The resulting film is a fast-paced, feel-good underdog sports story filled with epic racing that's sure to delight fans of all kinds. The film is finally out today, Aug. 25, and we got the chance to speak with director Neill Blomkamp—best known for sci-fi classics including District 9 and Chappie—all about the movie and what sets it apart from anything we've seen before.

Sweety High: You're perhaps best known for your high-concept sci-fi films. Do you feel that you're flexing different directorial muscles in bringing a based-on-a-true story narrative to life?

Neill Blomkamp: Absolutely. The film required a different kind of approach, both as a sports genre film and also a biographical film. It's the most "traditional" film I have done, but aiming toward the goal of being a crowd-pleasing film that you feel uplifted after going to the theatre, like Rocky did for me.

(Gran Turismo via Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group)

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SH: Can you tell us about Gran Turismo and its story?

NB: Gran Turismo has no story. It's a racing simulator; you pick a car and a racetrack. I didn't understand how a film could be made about GT until I learned about Jann Mardenborough and GT Academy.

SH: Gran Turismo isn't just a film about cars—it's about the sport of racing. What did you feel were the most important elements in telling that kind of story, and how did you work to get them across on the screen?

NB: Racing is very hard to film, so the first thing is just logistically to get 20 working cars to multiple international racetracks is tough enough. The next thing is to try and make it as authentic as possible. But regardless of the realism of elements like the way the race plays out, to the cars to the drivers, the main thing is that if there is no emotional connection to the lead driver (Jann), the audience won't care. So it comes back to storytelling.

(Gran Turismo via Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group)

SH: Can you share any of your favorite memorable moments from the set and working with the film's cast?

NB: I loved working with all the cast. I would have to say the most memorable moment was Orlando crashing one of the track cars we had while doing a certification test with a stunt driver to make sure he could drive the car and not crash. We ended up dropping the scene that required him to drive, unfortunately.

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SH: What was the biggest challenge of directing this film? What was the biggest reward?

NB: The biggest reward is that for me, personally, the film did what I set out to do. When I watch it, it reminds me of the kinds of sports dramas I saw as a kid that really moved me. I feel like I managed to do that. The biggest challenge was shooting the race sequences, for sure. So hard to wrangle that number of cars and cameras and stunt drivers.

(Photo credit: Victor Boyko/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)

SH: Is there anything you're most looking forward for fans to see when the film releases?

NB: Hopefully, they take away this feeling of the notion that "you can do anything" you set your mind to, and that leaves them feeling inspired in a time that feels quite bleak.

SH: What else should we know about the film?

NB: That this film is a very very unique way to tell a video game story. Usually, you are "inside" the narrative of the game. In this instance, the game is inside the world of the film, much like Facebook is inside the world of The Social Network.

(Gran Turismo via Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group)

Not sure what to watch after Gran Turismo? Click HERE to discover all of our must-watch films of fall 2023.