‘Gran Turismo’: Djimon Hounsou, Spice Girls’ Geri Halliwell-Horner Join Sony’s Racing Movie (Exclusive) (original) (raw)


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David Harbour and Archie Madekwe are starring in the production that is being directed by Neill Blomkamp, best known for his sci-fi movies such as 'District 9' and 'Elysium.'

Djimon Hounsou Geri Halliwell

Djimon Hounsou and Geri Halliwell-Horner Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Chris Philippo

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Djimon Hounsou and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner have joined the cast of Gran Turismo, Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions’ feature adaptation of the best-selling racing video game.

Daniel Puig, one of the stars of CW’s DC series, Naomi, Josha Stradowski (Amazon’s The Wheel of Time) and German actor Thomas Kretschman, who will be seen in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, have also jumped into the fast lane for movie, which is already shooting in Hungary.

David Harbour and Archie Madekwe are starring in the production, which also counts Orlando Bloom and Darren Barnett on the roll call. Neill Blomkamp, best known for sci-fi movies such as District 9 and Elysium, is directing.

With a script by Jason Hall (American Sniper) and Zach Baylin (King Richard) and based on a true story, the project is described as the ultimate wish-fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won him a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race-car driver. Madekwe is playing the teen while Harbour is a retired driver who teaches him to drive.

Hounsou and Halliwell-Horner are playing the teen’s parents while Puig his bother. Stradowski is a rival driver with Kretschmann playing his father.

PlayStation Production’s Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan, Doug Belgrad, and Dana Brunetti are producing. Game creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Hall are executive producing.

Sony Pictures will release the film theatrically Aug. 11, 2023.

Hounsou, a two-time Academy Award-nominated actor, recently appeared in A Quiet Place Part II. He will be seen in next year’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods and recently wrapped shooting Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon. He is repped by CAA, the Safran Company and Sloane Offer.

Turismo marks a very rare narrative screen appearance for Halliwell-Horner, the English singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. The pop group sold over 100 million records and became the best-selling female group of all time. The casting makes sense, however, as Halliwell-Horner’s husband is a former racer and now team principal of Red Bull’s Formula One team. Halliwell-Horner is also a budding author, having recently secured a two book deal with Scholastic (UK) and Penguin (US) for a children’s adventure series titled Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen. She is repped by CAA and Untitled.

Stradowski is repped by Favor Talents, Subtitle Talent and Range Media Partners. Puig is repped by CESD, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, and Jackoway Austen. Kretschmann is repped by APA, Myman Greenspan, and business manager Dan Rivero.

Sony; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images; Sony

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