Grand Theft Auto Movie Chances Addressed By Studio Boss Ahead Of GTA VI
Take-Two Sets A High Bar
Speaking on The David Rubenstein Show, Strauss Zelnick was asked about a possible Grand Theft Auto film or television adaptation. He said Take-Two would consider one if its creative teams believed it could engage and delight the audience.
Zelnick said the company is careful about extending its properties into other formats. He described Take-Two as a creative company and said it does not rule out an adaptation, but is very selective because failure is possible.
Past Film Pitches Declined
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser has said adaptation discussions took place at different times, but he viewed them as risky. One proposal involved a movie starring Eminem and directed by Tony Scott, with a $5 million deal offered to Houser and his brother; they declined.
Rockstar’s only adaptation venture mentioned in the account was the 2008 film Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg. It earned more than $85 million against a $35 million production budget, but critical reception was poor, and plans for a sequel were dropped.
A Changing Adaptation Landscape
Recent video game adaptations have achieved major box office results. The Chris Pratt-led Super Mario films each earned more than $1 billion, while A Minecraft Movie made more than $961 million and the latest Sonic the Hedgehog film reached $492 million, up from $320 million for the first.
Prime Video’s Fallout series offers another example of a successful screen adaptation, using original storytelling alongside game elements. For Grand Theft Auto, however, deciding between a new story and adapting an earlier game remains a challenge because the franchise spans settings and uses an open-world structure.
GTA VI Builds Anticipation
Grand Theft Auto VI is set in Leonida, a Florida-inspired setting that includes Vice City. The game has been in development for more than a decade, and early reports put pre-orders above 9.69 million units, described as a record; those reports also linked the game to an increase in PlayStation 5 sales.
The game follows Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos as a failed robbery draws them into a criminal conspiracy across Leonida. Its arrival has renewed attention on the franchise, but Take-Two has not committed to a film or television adaptation.
Key points
- Strauss Zelnick says Take-Two would consider an adaptation if its creative teams supported it.
- A proposed Eminem-led Grand Theft Auto film directed by Tony Scott was declined.
- The 2008 Max Payne film grossed more than $85 million on a $35 million budget.
- GTA VI is set in Leonida and features Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.