According to a new podcast, Rockstar Games reportedly declined an opportunity to produce a Grand Theft Auto movie featuring Eminem. Kirk Ewing, an industry veteran and friend of Rockstar founders Sam and Dan Houser, reveals that a Hollywood agent approached him with the deal.
The agent proposed offering $5 million to secure the rights for a movie starring the rapper, with renowned director Tony Scott, known for his work on Top Gun, involved in the project. However, Kirk shares on the BBC podcast Bugzy Malone’s Grandest Game that Sam Houser expressed their lack of interest in pursuing the opportunity.
Kirk, who had his game State of Emergency released by Rockstar, mentions that discussions about a movie adaptation were taking place around the time when GTA 3 gained immense popularity. This groundbreaking title, released in 2001 on Playstation 2, laid the foundation for the series and influenced numerous subsequent games. Meanwhile, Eminem was experiencing great success with his record-breaking album, the Marshall Mathers LP, and had recently completed filming his starring role in 8 Mile, a semi-biographical film loosely based on his early rap career.
According to Kirk, there hasn’t been any discussion between the Houser brothers about bringing GTA to the big screen since then. Kirk states, “They realized that the media franchise they had was larger in scope than any movie that was being produced at that time.”
Since then, GTA has evolved into a cultural phenomenon and was recognized in 2018 as the most financially successful entertainment product in history, surpassing even blockbuster films like Avatar.
Just recently, the studio officially confirmed the development of GTA VI, and Rockstar has hinted that gamers might have the chance to play it by 2024 or 2025.
Despite a leak of early game footage in September, Rockstar remains firm in its assertion that the leak will not impact the long-term plans for the title.
As of now, neither Rockstar nor its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have responded to Newsbeat’s request for comment.
