‘Grand Theft Auto‘, the million-dollar franchise of video game also recognizable as ‘GTA‘ is one of the most relevant sagas in the history of interactive entertainment and there has always been speculation about its tremendous potential and captivating narrativesperfect for becoming a great film or television series. However, despite several attempts, none of the projects proposed to the software house ended up materializing. Dan Houserco-founder and former leader of Rockstar Gameshas shed some light on the matter following an interview published by The Ankler.
GTA and Red Dead Redemption
Apparently, over the years there have been many attempts to adapt games by major names in the audiovisual industry. This includes not only ‘GTA’, but also the respected western series ‘Red Dead Redemption‘. “After a few awkward meetings, we asked the producers why we should accept their proposals for a transposition, and we were told that we could make a movie that way,” Houser recalled. “We had what we considered to be a multi-billion dollar intellectual property, so such a deal didn’t make economic sense. There was no point in taking risks. At the time, we had the feeling that the games would later be made into low-quality movies.”
Without control over the content there is no adaptation
“We said no, what they were describing was the making of a movie, we had no control and we took a huge risk that we would end up paying for something that belonged to us,” explains Houser when revealing Rockstar’s demands for the transfer of intellectual property rights. The executive highlights that the studio’s biggest concern was not having control over the creative aspect. Furthermore, the perception of video games and the way in which adaptations were produced in the film industry at the time was very different. Houser noted that, in those years, the economics and risks associated with adaptations simply did not make sense for Rockstar, especially considering the multi-billion dollar value of its intellectual properties.
“Now we are in a different situation”
“However, the current scenario looks more promising.” Indeed, among the most recent examples of excellent transpositions are great video game classics, such as ‘The Last of Us‘ and ‘Fallout‘. However, other franchises such as ‘Sonic‘ and ‘Mario‘ have also enjoyed interesting products on the big screen, which have caught the attention of the public and have been rewarded with generous box office figures. “We are in a different situation now,” argues Houser, who is currently working on his first game after leaving the ranks of Rockstar Games. In this business venture he promises to make great productions through multiple media, from video games to live action through books and graphic novels.