Rockstar: Don't Expect A GTA Movie Any Time Soon

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It seems like every major video game franchise is heading to Hollywood these days, but in regards to one of the biggest, you might not have to worry (which is what we all do when a movie based on our favorite games is announced).

According to what Rockstar boss Dan Houser said to the LA Times, a Grand Theft Auto movie simply wouldn't work. His very clear and straightforward explanation was-

"We don’t believe that the Grand Theft Auto games, which are massive in scope and structurally complex, can be adequately compressed into a two-hour movie."

See, we've said this before and it's great to see that Rockstar has the same mindset. On top of which, they have also thought about what a poor GTA film could do to the franchise's reputation; something more developers and publishers should think about.

"It seems obvious to us that maintaining the long-term integrity of any entertainment property has been dependent on not making substandard spin-off products to people whose primary interest is making a quick buck. If we ever decide to do a film, it will be because we have resolved our creative doubts, and while retaining enough control to ensure that if the movie is terrible, at least we will know we ruined the property ourselves."

Say what you will about either Rockstar or GTA, but gamers should definitely applaud this stance. It definitely hasn't escaped attention that most movies based on games suck, and at least someone has the pride and dignity to stand up and say, "I'm not going to let you do that to my game." Bravo!

7/27/2009 Ben Dutka

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