Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton officially announced for GTA drama
The BBC has confirmed that both Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton will star in the upcoming 90 minute factual drama based around the controversy caused by the original Grand Theft Auto. As previously rumoured, Radcliffe will be playing Rockstar founder Sam Houser, while Paxton will be filling the shoes of anti-video game campaigner Jack Thompson. Who knows if this is a good enough excuse to for him to scream “game over, man…”
According to today’s BBC announcement the BBC Two drama is being “conceived for an adult audience” and “tells the story of an extraordinary chapter in the history of this iconic game and reveals the major impact it has had on our cultural landscape.” The working title of the project is currently Game Changer and it’s being directed by Misfits and Black Mirror director Owen Harris.
It had previously been reported alongside casting news that the drama is based on David Kushner’s book Jacked: The Outlaw Story Of Grand Theft Auto, covering the controversy and public backlash from American activist Jack Thompson. This had some of the original GTA devs unsure about the accuracy of the drama if this was going to be the source material.
This hasn’t been confirmed by the BBC but the focus on the "fierce opposition and moral campaigners" will mean no shortage of juicy content for the drama’s leading men to get their teeth into.
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Louise Blain is a journalist and broadcaster specialising in gaming, technology, and entertainment. She is the presenter of BBC Radio 3’s monthly Sound of Gaming show and has a weekly consumer tech slot on BBC Radio Scotland. She can also be found on BBC Radio 4, BBC Five Live, Netflix UK's YouTube Channel, and on The Evolution of Horror podcast. As well as her work on GamesRadar, Louise writes for NME, T3, and TechRadar. When she’s not working, you can probably find her watching horror movies or playing an Assassin’s Creed game and getting distracted by Photo Mode.