Fans have long wished for a GTA movie. Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, has now explained why a film has never been an option.
Many fans are hoping for a movie or series based on the popular game series Grand Theft Auto (GTA). Dan Houser, co-founder and former chief writer of Rockstar Games, recently explained why this dream has never come to fruition. According to Houser, the high risk
was the decisive factor that prevented a film adaptation of GTA.
Fans are hugely excited about GTA 6. The trailer created a huge hype:
Why should we do that?
What does Dan Houser say? In an interview with The Ankler (via gamesindustry), Dan Houser explained that although there have been several discussions about possible film adaptations of Rockstar games (GTA and Red Dead Redemption), these were always declined.
Houser repeatedly asked the executives: “Why should we do that?” The answer from the decision-makers was often that it was an opportunity to be allowed to make a movie.
Houser made it clear why he considered this idea to be bad. He feared that a film project without the full creative control
from Rockstar would pose a great risk
. Additionally, we would have to pay for something
that already belonged to us
.
He stated the following:
They thought we would be blinded by the lights, but that just wasn’t the case. We had intellectual property [IP] worth several billion dollars. […] The risk wasn’t worth it. Back then, the view was that games made for bad movies.
Dan Houser to The Ankler
What is Dan Houser actually doing now? A poor outcome could potentially damage the reputation of the GTA brand. However, Dan Houser emphasizes that times are different now
. Today, many video game adaptations are successful, as the series Fallout and The Last of Us show.
Houser admitted that it is now a different time for collaboration between the gaming and film industries. Dan Houser left Rockstar and publisher Take-Two behind in March 2020 – and founded his own development studio.
With his new studio Absurd Ventures, he aims to build new franchises through more cost-effective formats. The focus is on storytelling – in the form of audiobooks, comics, and games. Currently, the studio is developing an open world action-adventure
.
A particularly well-known example of an offer for a GTA movie was what Rockstar received after the success of GTA III. A producer planned a film with rapper Eminem in the lead role and Tony Scott (Top Gun) as director.
But Sam Houser, Dan Houser’s brother and founder of Rockstar, declined. He probably recognized that the GTA brand was bigger. They preferred to focus on their gaming franchise. GTA was already in the process of surpassing the film industry (via RockstarIntel).
Although a GTA film never came to fruition, interest in a possible adaptation remains. Hollywood has significantly evolved in recent years regarding the quality of video game adaptations. Perhaps one day there will still be a GTA movie. In the meantime, you can look forward to GTA 6. By the way, a major new update for GTA Online was recently released: What’s in Bottom Dollar Bounties.
