Grand Theft Auto IV: The Movie

IGN:Source

We take a stab at bringing the anticipated game to the big screen.
by IGN Movies

April 28, 2008 - It's the most-anticipated game of the year, and it drops on Tuesday for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Grand Theft Auto IV is the ninth title in the best-selling sandbox-style action-adventure series.

The game, developed by Rockstar North, has players taking on the persona of Niko Bellic, an Eastern European wiseguy convinced to emigrate to the United States by his cousin Roman. Niko's hoping for a fresh start on the streets of Liberty City -- a NYC clone -- but Roman is tangled up with the mob and is looking for someone to get his back. On top of that, Niko's own drama that he thought he left in the homeland catches up with him. Niko can still live the American Dream, but he's gonna have to get it the hard way.

It's a great setup for the game's free-for-all gameplay which enables players to climb obstacles, hotwire and drive cars, steer boats, pilot helicopters, make phone calls, and pretty much shoot the s*** out of anything or anyone they want. But could it all be translated to the big screen? There have been rumors of a GTA movie in the past, but nothing has ever come together.

Is the GTA franchise too hot for Hollywood to handle? We don't think so. So, what if Hollywood made a movie out of Grand Theft Auto IV? Here's how we think it should play out...

WRITERS

Screenwriting duo Michael Brandt and Derek Haas may have gotten off to a dubious start in the biz, penning the script for the somewhat cheesy 2 Fast 2 Furious, and tween-targeted Catch That Kid. But after their script for the Oscar-nominated 3:10 to Yuma, nobody's scoffing in their direction. The pair's next flick is the impressive looking balls-to-the-wall actioner Wanted. And they're currently writing the script for the A-Team movie. The two scribes also wrote the script for another game-to-film adaptation, Spy Hunter. We think they can be trusted to adapt Grand Theft Auto for the big screen.

We'd have Brandt and Haas work closely with GTA writer Dan Houser to flesh out the screen story. Then we'd hand their draft over to a capable writer-director for another go at it.

DIRECTOR

Our first thought for GTA director was Sin City and Once Upon a Time in Mexico filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. But upon further reflection we decided to go with Rodriguez's cinematic soul brother Quentin Tarantino. The scope of the film would make it unlike anything he's ever done. But with delightfully violent movies like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction dotting his filmograpy, QT clearly has what it takes to bring the series' edginess to the screen. And his wicked sense of humor is similar in tone to what we've seen in the GTA games. If you need any further convincing, just check out the car chase in Death Proof.

The question is, would Tarantino do it? Despite the game's controversial nature, it's still a little bit more commercial than anything he's done before. But maybe he's ready to take on something different after the whole Grindhouse debacle.

Our alternate choice, should Tarantino not be up for it, is relative newcomer Neil Marshall -- you'll know him from Doomsday and The Descent. Marshall has a similarly twisted sense of humor, and his filmmaking style would suit GTA well. No disrespect to Marshall, but he'd also be a considerably more affordable choice for any studio hoping to make bank off of Grand Theft Auto.

PRINCIPLE CAST

Casting a Grand Theft Auto flick would be a challenge. A lot of A-list actors might shy away from the ultra-violent subject matter. Plus, too many recognizable faces might kill the vibe. We're not really going for look-a-likes here as much as we are for good actors that can bring the right feel to the characters. We'd also have to pair down the cast of characters to make the story a little more manageable. All your favorites from the game would still show up, but these are the major players in our version:

For the lead role of Niko we'd cast Vinnie Jones. He's not a dead ringer for the game's version of Niko by any stretch, but we think he's got the toughness to pull off such a brutal role. Many of you probably remember him as the Juggernaut (bitch!) from X-Men: The Last Stand, but we're picturing him in his Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels days.

When it comes to Roman, Niko's cousin, we're going to go way out on a limb and cast Jack Black. Black is a more diverse actor than he's typically given credit for and we think he can pull of the slightly goofy role without resorting to his usual silly shtick. Go ahead, hate on us. We don't care.

For Dimitri Rascalov, the story's main villain, we'd cast Mr. Monica Bellucci himself, Vincent Cassel. The guy is capable of being a real bastard on the screen... just what we need.

We'd have Niko befriend Irish Thug Packie McReary. For that role we'd look to Scott Caan (Ocean's Thirteen, Brooklyn Rules). Caan is no stranger to Irish thuggery as he was once a roadie for rappers House of Pain. Jump around!

For the role of Little Jacob, Niko's Caribbean arms dealer, we'd approach Antwone Fisher star Derek Luke. Luke is currently shooting a role as Sean "Diddy" Combs in Notorious.

We'd make Katie McReary, Packie's sister, Niko's primary love interest in our version of GTA IV. Of course, Niko will have his way with any number of Liberty City lovelies, but Katie is the one he comes back to in the end. We'd cast up-and-coming Irish-American actress Michelle Lombardo in the role. She's a former SI swimsuit model who's starred in Click, as well as TV's Entourage and Californication. She caught our eye on the hit web-based series Quarterlife.

YOUR TURN

Creating a movie based on Grand Theft Auto IV and living up the expectations of GTA fans would be a tall order. Is it worth while? Do you think Tarantino's a good fit? And what about our casting choices? Post your reaction and original ideas in the comments below...