GTA Movie Not Worth It Because Games Earn Much More, Says Take-Two Boss
While the vision of a live-action movie based on the Grand Theft Auto series sounds tempting, we shouldn't set our sights on the iconic brand getting a big or small screen adaptation in the near future.
To say that in recent years cinema has succumbed to the fashion for screen adaptations of popular video games is like saying nothing at all. During the year, we have witnessed adaptations of such brands as The Last of Us, Cyberpunk 2077, Super Mario Bros., Gran Turismo or Twisted Metal. The future is also looking rich, with the adaptations of Fallout, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone and The Legend of Zelda.
Those who were hoping that the lift of aforementioned titles would sooner or later include Grand Theft Auto, may feel a little disappointment, because it does not look like Rockstar Games' hit brand is going to see a live-action production in the coming years.
This is what the CEO of Take-Two (owner of Rockstar Games), Strauss Zelnick, is saying. He explained during a recent meeting with investors that the company is not interested in chasing a project with too much risk. In his view, it's not worth risking "core intellectual property" for a fraction of what Grand Theft Auto games are earning (via Tweak Town).
"And so, in the case of success, the number in terms of benefit to our bottom line... is not zero, but it's not really relevant to what we're doing here. In the case of failure, we risk damage to our core intellectual property," Zelnick explained.
It's hard to disagree with Take-Two's director. Recall that, according to a recent report from Take-Two, GTA V has already sold more than 190 million copies worldwide. Meanwhile, sales of all installments in the series have already exceeded 410 million copies.
