Sony Pictures is about to release a feature film based on a true story, following how a successful player of the Gran Turismo racing videogame became a real-world race car driver.

Just as I was writing my introduction on how the mainstream considered motorsports to be a cool thing in 90s, but how it seems to have lost its broad appeal, Sony Pictures is releasing a major, motorsports-focussed motion picture. The film hasn't premièred around here yet, so I won't be able to give a review at this point. But I'm posting this to urge all visitors of this site: if you have the opportunity where you live, go see it in the theatre!
Why? Because major works like this can help turn the tide, and make motorsports in general more attractive to broad audiences again, and sway people to see it in a more positive light. If this feature film turns into a box office success, other studios and artists might want to dive into motorsports content as well. More well-produced motorsports content for us is already a good thing in itself, but crucially, it also helps reach new audiences. People who aren't already into motorsports will be confronted with the culture more often, may become more interested, and grow to like it. Large movie posters of people in race suits hanging in cities all around the world is already a great step! And most important of all, there will hopefully be many people in younger audiences for whom seeing this movie will ignite the spark that will make them want to enter the world of motorsports themselves. There could hardly be a better way to do that than through a movie whose plot essentially says that if you enjoy playing videogames, you might also turn out to be a good race driver. Lowering the barriers, mental ones included, is what it's all about.
Gran Turismo is already in theatres in some regions, but will see a wider global release on August 25th, 2023.