David Harbour credits Gene Hackman’s role in Hoosiers as part of the reason why he agreed to star in Gran Turismo.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter prior to the start of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike, Harbour was asked if there were any actors in other movies he turned to for inspiration when filming Gran Turismo.
“Yeah, but only because I watch Hoosiers once every couple years,” Harbour answered. Gene Hackman and Hoosiers are part of the reason why I took this movie. My agent sent me the Gran Turismo script and I read through it and thought, ‘Oh my God, I get to remake Hoosiers for a younger generation.’ So that was exciting, and Hackman’s Norman Dale was really the primary North Star character for me. He’s certainly even more complicated [than Jack]. He’s got a lot more going on, and the story is really about him, but it was a nice model in a certain way. Of course, I’m doing my own personal work and I want it to be specific to me, but you can use archetypal models and tropes like that along the way.”
Gran Turismo races into theaters on August 25
Directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Chappie), Gran Turismo is written by Jason Hall, Zach Baylin, and Alex Tse. Along with Harbour, the film stars Archie Madekwe, Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou, Takehiro Hira, and Geri Horner.
“Gran Turismo is based on the unbelievable true story of a team of unlikely underdogs – a struggling working-class gamer, a failed former racecar driver, and an idealistic motorsport executive,” the official synopsis reads. “Together, they risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world. Gran Turismo is an inspiring, thrilling, and action-packed story that proves that nothing is impossible when you’re fueled from within.”
Gran Turismo releases theatrically in the United States on August 25, 2023.
