Sony Pictures will tell Jann Mardenborough’s story in the film Gran Turismo, to be released this August.
It’s an unbelievable story, too, one that links video games with auto racing at the sport’s highest level. Here’s the skinny.
Gran Turismo is a series of racing simulation video games developed by Polyphony Digital. The game emulates the appearance and performance of licensed reproductions of real-world racing vehicles. Since the franchise debut in 1997, the game series has sold over 90 million units worldwide, making it the highest-selling video game franchise under the PlayStation label.
GT stands for Gran Turismo Academy. Nissan partnered with PlayStation to form the GT Academy. It’s an international virtual-to-reality competition where the best Gran Turismo players compete against each other for a lifetime opportunity to become a real-life professional racecar drivers.
A player who can prove their skills in the game’s virtual world can advance to a real racecar and compete in real-time. The grand prize is a spot on a Nissan racing team, including the training and licensing needed to race in international events. That’s right: the driver of Gran Turismo becomes an actual racecar driver!
In 2011, more than 90,000 people competed for the trials of the GT Academy, and Britisher Jann Mardenborough placed in the Top 20. Jann had been prepping to go to college with aspirations to study design and engineering. But he had another dream, too, of becoming a race car driver.
After placing as he did, Mardenborough made his way to the finals, held at the famous Formula One track, the Silverstone Circuit in the U.K. After an intense week competing against other finalists, Mardenborough emerged as the champion, winning a spot on the Nissan racing team.
Since then, Mardenborough has participated in a variety of international races, including the 24 Hours of Dubai, the British GT Championships, and the Blancpain Endurance Series. Now his story will hit the silver screen. Sony Pictures will feature Jann Mardenborough in the film Gran Turismo, debuting in August.
