Gran Turismo: Transitioning from Gamer to Racer – All You Need to Understand

Does the Gran Turismo movie have a real-life basis?

Yes! The life of Jann Mardenborough, a gamer who became a race car driver after winning the GT Academy, is the basis for the Gran Turismo film. On August 11th, 2023, Neill Blomkamp’s movie, starring David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, and Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, will be released in theaters.

Advertisement

Is the game featured in the Gran Turismo movie?

The Gran Turismo movie tells the story of how the game gave the fastest players the chance to pursue a career as a full-time, sponsored racer. Via the Gran Turismo Academy (GT Academy), which debuted in 2008 and operated until 2016, this was accomplished. Gran Turismo follows the real-life exploits of one of these competitors from their first hot lap to their head-to-head competition on authentic courses all over the globe.

The GT Academy is what?

Advertisement

The tournament gave the top Gran Turismo players a chance to fulfill a dream that many people have, but few manage to realize: becoming a fully supported racing driver. This followed Jann’s path through the Gran Turismo Academy and beyond.

A real-world competition called the Gran Turismo Academy offered players the chance to enter the world of professional racing car driving. The initiative, which was introduced in 2008 by Nissan, PlayStation, and Polyphony Digital, has blurred the lines between game and reality and helped begin the careers of many successful drivers, including Mardenborough.

Jann Mardenborough won a professional racing contract and the opportunity to pursue his lifelong passion of traveling the globe in the quickest cars after defeating 90,000 competitors both online and in person during the GT Academy.

Advertisement

Jann Mardenborough: who is she?

Jann Mardenborough, a gamer and one of us, demonstrated that you can be just as quick on a real racetrack as you can be on a virtual one. Following taking first place at the GT School in 2011, he has gone on to compete in the GP3, Blancpain GT World Series, and even the Le Mans 24 Hours. For someone who first got into driving while playing Gran Turismo in their bedroom, this is an outstanding driving CV!

The GT Academy still exists, right?

Sadly, no, it isn’t. But did you think of yourself as the fastest on the track at all times? With our Hot Lap Competition at Belong Gaming Arenas in honor of the Gran Turismo Movie, here is your time to demonstrate it.

For a chance to compete in the grand final in Belong Gaming Arena, Sutton, where the finest drivers will go head-to-head for magnificent trips to Japan and fantastic tech prizes, set your best lap during the month of July at any Belong Gaming Arena.