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Trailer for THE GAMECHANGERS Focuses on The Battle Over GRAND THEFT AUTO
The BBC has released the first trailer for their TV movie called The Gamechangers, which focuses on the creation and battle over the ultra-violent video game Grand Theft Auto. The movie stars Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser, who had a big hand in popularizing GTA by pushing to amp up the violence. He ended up in a battle with a Christian activist lawyer by the name of Jack Thompson, who is played by Bill Paxton. Thompson set his sights on the game and attacked Houser and Rockstar Games and tried to shut down the production of the popular video game franchise. It obviously didn't work, and it led to him being disbarred in 2008 for using unorthodox methods and inappropriate behavior to get his point across.
Rockstar Games is not involved with this project. In fact, they are actually suing BBC over the film for trademark infringement. The movie is based on a book by David Kushner called Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto, and it looks like an intriguing movie! Check out the trailer below.
Here's a detailed synopsis:
In Autumn 2013, the game’s latest iteration – GTA: V – earned $1bn in just three days, becoming the fastest-selling entertainment product in history. But this drama goes back to 2002, to tell the story of a three-year period of intense controversy in the history of this iconic game’s development. It happened when two passionate men on either side of a high-stakes cultural divide clashed. This conflict, between the creative genius behind the game and a self-styled crusader for American morality, escalated into a fight for the hearts, minds and freedoms of an entire gaming generation.
The fastest-selling entertainment product in history comes not from Silicon Valley, but is driven by a bunch of British game designers. Friends since their school days, they are led by the game’s mastermind-designer, Sam Houser. By 2002, Sam and his creative team have constructed for their fans a vast virtual world, teeming with a high-octane mix of criminal characters, lethal weapons and outrageous storylines. Here you can even shape and sculpt your avatar, crafting their character and appearance to your personal preference.
Within this fantasy landscape, some players choose to take part in a series of dangerous missions, while others become immersed in a sprawling criminal underworld, killing cops, hijacking cars and running over pedestrians. And it’s this that increasingly drives opposition to GTA. Because the game’s violent gameplay leads to fierce opposition: from parents worried about its impact on children; from politicians, fearful of its influence; and, above all, from campaigners fighting to prevent the game being played by minors.
At the vanguard of this crusade is the formidable Christian lawyer Jack Thompson, a man determined to do whatever he can to stop the relentless rise of the game and its influence on children. The Gamechangers tells the story of how British game designers pushed boundaries into uncharted territory, of how those fighting GTA became consumed by a battle which overwhelmed their lives, and how the subsequent fallout threatened to bring down leading players on both sides.