Summary

• The 2023 Gran Turismo movie stands out by not adapting the game plot, focusing on the real-life rise of player Jann Mardenborough.
• Jann Mardenborough's journey from gaming to professional racing is the heart of the unique Gran Turismo true story adaptation.
• Alongside other PlayStation projects, the movie showcases Mardenborough's transition from gamer to real racer, now on Netflix.

The Gran Turismo true story makes it unique among video game adaptations, as the plot isn't taken from the game at all. Its plot revolves around real life Gran Turismo player Jann Mardenborough, whose skills in the racing game take him to a string of Nissan-sponsored video game competitions. Mardenborough's skills in Grand Turismo allow him to progress from playing the game to driving a real race car and starting a career as a racer. Gran Turismo is directed by Neill Blomkamp, best known for helming the science fiction movies District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, and scripted by American Sniper’s Jason Hall and King Richard’s Zach Baylin.

Along with the Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland and the HBO TV series adaptation of The Last of Us starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, Gran Turismo is a part of PlayStation Productions’ concerted effort to adapt its most popular gaming titles into live-action projects. However, while other video game adaptations draw their narrative from the games, the 2023 Gran Turismo movie is based on real events. Jann Mardenborough isn't a character but a real person, and it's his incredible journey that's the basis of the Gran Turismo true story.

Gran Turismo is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Who Is The Real Jann Mardenborough?

Archie Madekwe's Gran Turismo Character Explained

The real Jann Mardenborough is the basis of the Gran Turismo true story, and he remains an active racecar driver today. Mardenborough was born in Darlington, County Durham, England in 1991. He is the son of Steve Mardenborough, a former professional footballer who made more than 300 appearances in the Football League throughout his career.

His prowess as a Gran Turismo player eventually led to a career as a professional race car driver when he made it to the GT Academy.

The Gran Turismo true story was changed a little for the movie, but in broadstrokes sticks to Jann Mardenborough's incredible rise from being a Gran Turismo player to being a professional race car driver. Growing up, Mardenborough was an avid player of the Gran Turismo series of racing games on PlayStation. His prowess as a Gran Turismo player eventually led to a career as a professional race car driver when he made it to the GT Academy.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2014, Mardenborough said that he enjoyed the Gran Turismo racing simulation games because they gave him the chance to “drive cars I’d probably never, ever get to drive.” He added that his years of gaming eventually allowed him to live out his “childhood dream,” which he found “very fulfilling.” The real Jann Mardenborough is candid about how much the GT academy changed his life, just as it did the fictionalized version of him in the Gran Turismo movie:

I knew that my life was going to change massively. After that, the first time I drove a fast GT car, a fast road car, that was a pretty cool moment – to be released round Silverstone in a 500-horse power Nissan GT-R was pretty crazy for a 19-year-old.

In the Gran Turismo movie, Jann Mardenborough is played by Archie Madekwe, a British actor best known for his role in Apple TV's series, See. Mardenborough’s father is played by Djimon Hounsou, who is well known for his roles as Juba in Gladiator and the wizard in the cast of Shazam! Fury of the Gods. His mother, Lesley Mardenborough, is played by Geri Halliwell, better known as “Ginger Spice” from the Spice Girls.

Jann Mardenborough Won The GT Academy Competition In 2011

Mardenborough's Story In The Gran Turismo Movie Is Almost True To Life

The Gran Turismo true story started with the founding of the GT Academy — also known as the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy. As seen in the movie, the initiative was committed to giving the best Gran Turismo players an opportunity to take their video game racing skills to a real-life racetrack with the aim of launching a professional racing career. The academy was funded by Nissan and Sony Interactive Entertainment from 2008 to 2016.

After winning a series of competitions with his Gran Turismo gaming skills, the real Jann Mardenborough earned a spot in the GT Academy.

As seen in the movie, Gran Turismo players who won a series of gaming competitions to prove their mettle were then admitted to the academy to learn how to drive a real race car, with the chance to earn a spot on the Nissan racing team. After winning a series of competitions with his Gran Turismo gaming skills, the real Jann Mardenborough earned a spot in the GT Academy. In 2011, Mardenborough beat out 90,000 other entrants to become the third and youngest winner of the GT Academy competition.

This victory earned him the opportunity to drive for Nissan at the Dubai 24-hour race. Prior to joining the GT Academy at the age of 19, the real Jann Mardenborough had no racing experience or any serious interest in racing cars for real outside of the Gran Turismo games. This makes his story a rarity in the world of motorsports — and a unique basis for a sports biopic.

Darren Cox Founded GT Academy

Orlando Bloom's Character Was A Pivotal Part Of The Gran Turismo True Story Too

Another way that the movie closely mirrors the Gran Turismo true story is through Orlando Bloom's character Danny Moore, who is based on Darren Cox. The GT Academy was conceived by Cox, a British businessman and motorsport marketing executive who began his career with Renault 10 years before he moved to Nissan. Two years after that, he moved to Nissan Europe (via Autosport).

Out of the 23 graduates from Cox’s academy, both Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordóñez achieved podiums in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Cox first came up with the idea for the GT Academy in 2005 when he was a general manager at Nissan Europe (via The New York Times), but the idea wasn’t implemented until Sony and Nissan partnered up to form the Nissan GT Academy in 2008. Out of the 23 graduates from Cox’s academy, both Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordóñez achieved podiums in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Cox’s role in the formation of the GT Academy and the launching of Mardenborough’s career is covered in the Gran Turismo movie. However, whereas in the film Mardenborough maintains his real name, the Darren Cox characterisation in Gran Turismo is fictionalized enough that the screenwriters changed his name to Danny Moore.

In 2016, after leaving Nissan, Cox remained in the world of gamers-turned-racers and founded the first professional e-sports racing team, eSPORTS+CARS

During his tenure at Nissan, following the GT Academy’s success, Darren Cox also spearheaded Nissan Deltawing, Nissan ZEOD electric Le Mans record, Juke R prototype, LMP2 and LMP3 engine programs, and the Nissan LMP1 program. In 2016, after leaving Nissan, Cox remained in the world of gamers-turned-racers and founded the first professional e-sports racing team, eSPORTS+CARS (via AutoHebdo).

Are Leah Or The Other GT Academy Racers Real People?

Mardenborough's Rivals Are All Fictional

While much of the movie is rooted in the Gran Turismo true story, a number of characters were added to the film who are not real. Leah Vega, for example, is not a real GT Academy racer. It has been rumored, though, that the character is loosely based on real-life GT Academy racer, Lucas Ordóñez.

In the Gran Turismo movie, Mardenborough is seen to be in a rivalry with Matty Davis, played by Never Have I Ever's Darren Barnet. Davis is not a real person, but according to Slashfilm, the character could have been based on Mardenborough's real-life fellow racer, Bryan Heitkotter. Josha Stradowski's character, Nicholas Capa, is also not a real person and has not been reported to be based on anyone.

Gran Turismo's Jack Salter Is Not A Real Person

David Harbour's Character Isn't Part Of The Gran Turismo True Story

Additionally to Mardenborough's fellow racers in Gran Turismo, David Harbour's Jack Salter is also not a real person. The character is likely based on Gavin Gough, an NLP and sports hypnosis practitioner whom Mardenborough met at the academy. Mardenborough has been vocal about how much Gough impacted his racing journey, even saying in a Tweet that a conversation with him created a ripple effect that ended up resulting in his performance skyrocketing.

Salter could also be based on Ricard Divila, who was Mardenborough's real mentor who guided him through the beginning of his career.

Mardenborough Went On To Have A Prolific Racing Career

The Racer's Career Continued Long After The Events Of Gran Turismo Concluded

After graduating from the GT Academy and entering the real world of motorsports with a spot on the Nissan team at the Dubai 24 Hour race, the real Jann Mardenborough went on to enjoy a prolific racing career (via Driver Database). He has competed in such competitions as the Formula 3 European Championship, the GP3 Series, and the GP2 Series, and even competed in the legendary endurance-based 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

All in all, Jann Madenborough has an impressive real-life racing record for a driver who started as a Gran Turismo player.

When he made his Le Mans debut in 2013, Mardenborough finished third in the LMP2 class. In 2012, he won one race, three podiums, and one pole position driving for RJN Motorsport at the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. In 2014, Mardenborough won three races, seven podiums, one pole position, and two fastest laps driving for Giles Motorsport in the Toyota Racing Series New Zealand, and also won one race, two podiums, and two fastest laps driving for Arden International in the GP3 Series.

The real Jann Mardenborough's career didn't stop there, however. In 2016, he won one race, two podiums, and two fastest laps racing for NDDP Racing in the Super GT Japan, and also won four races, 12 podiums, six pole positions, and six fastest laps racing for the B-MAX Racing Team with NDDP in the Japanese Formula 3 Championship. All in all, Jann Madenborough has an impressive real-life racing record for a driver who started as a Gran Turismo player.

How Gran Turismo Changes Jann Mardenborough's True Story

There Were Multiple Tweaks Made For The Narrative To Be More Compelling