Rockstar Co-founder Reveals Why Grand Theft Auto Never Got a Big Screen Adaptation

Following a decline of interest in superhero films, video game adaptations have become increasingly popular and successful. From The Last of Us to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, gamers are finally seeing their favorite worlds come to life on the big and small screens.

However, one notable absence from this trend has been the titan of the gaming world: Grand Theft Auto.

Dan Houser, co-founder and former head writer of Rockstar Games, recently shed light on why the multi-billion-dollar franchise never made the leap to Hollywood. In a paid interview with The Ankler, Houser revealed the behind-the-scenes story of GTA‘s near-miss with Tinseltown.

“We had a few awkward dates,” Houser stated, referring to meetings with Hollywood executives. These encounters often ended with a puzzled Houser asking, “Why would we do this?” The response from the suits was always the same: “Because you get to make a movie.”

But for Houser and his team at Rockstar, the allure of a cinematic adaptation wasn’t enough. They saw through the glitz and glamour, recognizing that a Hollywood deal meant losing control of their carefully designed IP. “What you’ve described is you making a movie and us having no control,” Houser would tell the executives, “taking a huge risk that we’re going to end up paying for with something that belongs to us.”

It wasn’t just about creative control, though. The economics never added up for Rockstar. With GTA and Red Dead Redemption becoming highly lucrative franchises, the potential rewards of a film adaptation simply didn’t justify the risks involved, and can we blame them?

Assassin’s Creed is one of the most successful franchises, with over 200 million copies sold. However, the 2016 film adaptation left a lot to be desired and underperformed at the box office, grossing $240 million worldwide against its $125 million production budget.

Interestingly, Houser revealed that there was once a tantalizing offer on the table. A Hollywood producer proposed a GTA film starring rap icon Eminem, with Tony Scott (known for Top Gun) in the director’s chair. However, Sam Houser, Dan’s brother and fellow Rockstar co-founder, responded with a simple “not interested.”

The landscape of video game adaptations has changed dramatically since those early days. “It’s a different time now,” Houser acknowledged. With his new venture, Absurd Ventures, he’s ready to bridge the gap between interactive and linear entertainment. The company is starting small, developing potential franchises through podcasts and graphic novels, with the ultimate goal of creating a new generation of multimedia IP.

As for GTA fans still hoping for a big-screen adaptation, they might have to keep waiting. Still, with the industry’s evolving approach to game adaptations and Houser’s new openness to Hollywood collaborations, who knows what the future might hold? For now, we’ll have to be content with the games, which, truth be told, are more than enough for most fans.