The Gran Turismo franchise is racing to screens as Sony Interactive CEO Jim Ryan reveals a TV show based on the video games is in development. Originally created by producer Kazunori Yamauchi and developer Polyphony Digital, the game franchise puts players in the driver's seat of licensed vehicles as they race through a variety of exotic locations. Gran Turismo is best known for its detailed graphics and accurate driving physics as well as allowing players to use in-game currency to purchase new weapons and upgrade the ones they already own.

First launching in 1997, the Gran Turismo games have received largely favorable reviews from critics for the realistic racing simulation and is considered one of the most popular racing franchises, having collectively sold over 85 million units. Though critically acclaimed, the most recent installment Gran Turismo 7 has received some criticism from gamers for introducing microtransactions to the game, with the game receiving Sony's lowest user rating and lowest exclusive title rating on Metacritic with a 2.2 our of 10. As Polyphony works to course correct, the Gran Turismo franchise looks to be eying a new path forward.

During the studio's most recent business briefing, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan (via IGN) revealed multiple game adaptations are in the works. One such project revealed is a Gran Turismo TV show, though Ryan didn't offer any further details on the development for the series. At the time of writing, the Gran Turismo series isn't attached to any network or streaming platform.


In addition to the Gran Turismo TV show, Ryan confirmed the rumored God of War series at Prime Video is moving forward with The Expanse duo Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins and a Horizon Zero Dawn series at Netflix. An adaptation of the Gran Turismo franchise has languished in development hell for nearly a decade, with Sony originally eyeing a movie with Watchmen co-writer Alex Tse in talks to direct and a variety of writers attached, including Red duo Jon and Erich Hoeber. The Gran Turismo TV series marks the latest project in development from PlayStation Productions after the success of Tom Holland's Uncharted movie, with the studio also working on The Last of Us at HBO, a Ghost of Tsushima movie and Twisted Metal series at Peacock.

Given the Gran Turismo games are not really driven by a story, it will be interesting to see how Sony and PlayStation Productions work to bring the racing franchise to life on the screen. With it still early in development, the Gran Turismo TV series likely won't see the light of day for a few years, which would perfectly fill the car-based void the end of the mainline Fast & Furious franchise will leave following the tenth and eleventh films. Only time will tell what other Sony titles will get the screen adaptation treatment as PlayStation Productions ramps up its future slate.