Anyone that's interested in seeing a Grand Theft Auto movie shouldn't hold their breath. It seems that Rockstar can't make a film out of the game due to a legal settlement.
If you've spent some time perusing the bargain bin of Blockbuster, you might know that a film called Grand Theft Auto was made in the seventies by Ron "Richie Cunningham" Howard.
It was hardly a success, but according to Hollywood Daily it worried Rockstar so much that they entered a legal agreement with rights-owner Fox to ensure it would never make a game based on the movie.
As a compromise, Rockstar promised never to make a movie based on its game.
Whilst we're not entirely convinced that this is true, it does help to explain why we haven't seen a movie from one of the most popular media franchises of all time.
And even if it does carry some weight, legal arrangements can be reworked. After all, Fox stands to make a fortune from being involved with a film based on the series.
We're not even sure we'd want the film, though. Would it work? Do you want to see a GTA flick? Thoughts below.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was more to do in the movie than the game...
okay. childish comment out the way. I watched the original GTA movie. Massive crock of $hit. Better to leave this thing alone. It wouldn't work and could maybe kill the games success.
hows about a ban to stop games being made into films altogether. they're either s**te or p**s poor anyway. plus it would give Uwe Boll less material to work with.
I don't want to see it. GTA works because it takes concepts from movies and lets you play through them. Plus there are a lot of "4th wall" moments which plainly wouldn't translate to the big screen.
A movie would be one long shooting fest with a tacked on story, which would denigrate the series.
And then all those arrogant movie-critics will come out and use it as "proof" that games will never, ever beat films as an entertainment medium.
I don't see how they can stop them making a movie just because of the name is the same as an older movie.
Exhibit A: Dead or Alive http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036750/
They probably called it DoAead or alive to avoid confusion.
Exhibit B: Postal http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418073/
Both the Spawn of Satan of course
So why with the first one in mind they could call it GTA:Grand Theft Auto
Personally though, I don't care about a GTA movie. There would be too many arguments about which character should be portrayed. I would like Tommy Vercetti myself if they did make one.
I don't see what the point would be. GTA isn't exactly renowned for its intricate story telling and deep characters. It is about personal adventure, and making your own story. A GTA film would be nothing but a generic Gangster flick with the GTA badge plastered on the front.
I think two hours of beating up old women and running people over would get boring when you're not in control. Also, the story to GTA IV was terrible so a film would have no redeeming features at all.
The best GTA, Vice City, already has a film: Scarface. Just go watch that.
I don't get how the city would work, seeing as the game cities are largely parodies of the real life counterparts. They would either have to just have the real cities or do some camera trickery, surely.
I make it a point of never watching a movie based off a game (they are simply too painful to sit through). So no, I won't be watching this one should it ever be made.
I have the solution! If Rockstar are not allowed to use the Grand Theft Auto name, the answer is easy.
Call it GTA (ie the abbreviated name) GTA is a Rockstar trademark Everyone knows what GTA stands for, it would be introduced by jounralists as GTA the movie based on the game Grand Theft Auto! done!
I think two hours of beating up old women and running people over would get boring when you're not in control. Also, the story to GTA IV was terrible so a film would have no redeeming features at all.
The best GTA, Vice City, already has a film: Scarface. Just go watch that.
One of the classics as well and GTA would be competing with greats like this. I doubt this will ever happen though and agree with other posters that GTA is a personal experience that is specific to the individual.
GTA is like Metal Gear Solid in many ways: cinematic in its own right. Many games don't really need movie adaptations, they tell their own story better than a two-hour film could, thanks to a much longer run time (imagine an MGS4 movie -- how much would be lost in the transition? Too much). Some games that don't focus so much on the story or are more elusive (think BioShock) could be adapted theoretically, but movies can be limited in a way that games aren't, thanks to that ever-important run time.
i think the answer to games/movie tie-ins, is the way the movie desides to use the games story,
if someones was going to use the bioshock game as a movie and made a movie detaling the exact things that happened in the game, that would make a confusing mess,
but what if you used the story differently?
if you made the story more linear, the characters more detailed, and have flashbacks to support the main character, it think it would make a good movie,
im not saying that you can make a movie about anything( DeadOrAlive?? )just that if you modify the story to fit the movie genre, it could make a good movie,
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ead or alive to avoid confusion.
