BBC releases teaser of Grand Theft Auto TV drama ‘Game Changer’

One of the most controversial video game franchises ever made is Rockstar Games’ super violent Grand Theft Auto. Few games have drawn the vitriol of various organizations against violence in video games in the name of just wanting to keep the kids safe. Now the story of how the game was created, and the protests that followed, will be told on the big screen.

The BBC is behind a TV movie called The Gamechangers starring Harry Potter franchise lead Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser, who found himself in a battle with Christian lawyer Jack Thompson (Bill Paxton) as Thompson tried to shut down the production of the Grand Theft Auto video games.

Rockstar Games had no involvement with this production, and they’re even suing BBC to “ensure that our trademarks are not misused in the BBC’s pursuit of an unofficial depiction of purported events related to Rockstar Games.” Could that controversy help get some extra eyes on this project? Maybe, but otherwise this unfortunately has the feel of a made-for-TV movie, unlike most of the HBO Films productions which would easily fit in on the big screen.

At the very least, seeing Daniel Radcliffe clash with Bill Paxton should be an interesting face-off. However, we will probably have to wait awhile before we get a chance to see this in the United States, because it airs on BBC Two on September 15th this month, but has no set plan for a release in the US just yet

Credits: NewTrailersBuzz, BBC