Just five months after we reportedDaniel Radcliffewas circling theGrand Theft Autolegal dramaThe Gamechangers, the first trailer has surfaced on YouTube channelNewTrailersBuzz. The TV movie is slated to debut September 15 on the UK network BBC 2, but it isn’t clear when it may debut in the U.S. This project will give fans of the beloved Grand Theft Auto video game series new insight into the legal trouble that Rockstar Games founder,Sam Houser(Daniel Radcliffe) found himself in.
The story is set in 2002, centering onHouser’s legal battles with a Florida lawyer namedJack Thompson(Bill Paxton), who embarked on a crusade against the violence and profanity found in thevideo gameseries. The attorney had already made headlines before, attacking media companies for glorifying rap music and putting violent content on television. He was eventually disbarred in 2008 for inappropriate behavior.
David JonesandSam Daillycreated Grand Theft Auto, but it wasSam Houserand his brotherDan Houserwho brought the games into a3Denvironment withGrand Theft Auto III, while increasing the levels of violence exponentially. The most recent release in the series,Grand Theft Auto V, has sold more than 33 million copies worldwide, with the entire series selling over 150 million units. It isn’t clear yet when Rockstar plans on releasing the next installment of this widely popular game series.
The supporting cast is rounded out by Joseph Dempsie, Lex King, Nick Boraine, D. David Morin, James Alexander, Shannon Esra, Nicole Sherwin and Fiona Ramsey. Owen Harris (Kill Your Friends) is directing from a script by James Wood (Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire), based on the 2012 bookJacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft AutobyDavid Kushner. With theTV moviedebuting on BBC 2, it’s possible that it may premiere on BBC America in the U.S., but that hasn’t been confirmed.
AfterThe Gamechangers, debuts this month,Daniel Radcliffewill next be seen in the 20th Century Fox big screen thrillerVictor Frankenstein, alongsideJames McAvoy. What do you think of this first footage fromThe Gamechangers? Stay tuned for more updates about when this movie may be released in the U.S.
