Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton will star in an unauthorized biopic of Sam Houser, the Rockstar Games co-founder who invented the massive video game franchise Grand Theft Auto. The Gamechangers will air on September 15th on BBC Two in the U.K.
The brief trailer previews the tension between Houser (Radcliffe) and American, Christian lawyer Jack Thompson (Paxton), who attempts to halt the rise of the violent game. These recent revelations demonstrate what little regard these Brits have for the welfare of our children, Thompson says over a headline connecting a teens homicide charges to the influence of violent video games.
The film has caused its own legal tension as Rockstar Games has filed a lawsuit against the BBC over trademark infringement. It is our obligation to protect our intellectual propertyand unfortunately in this case litigation was necessary,the company said in a statement issued to IGN.
Grand Theft Auto is one of the fastest-selling video games of all time, having launched its fifth installment Grand Theft Auto V in 2013. Its soundtrack featured music from artists like Wavves and Flying Lotus and a concert featuring rappers A$AP Rocky, Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator promoted the ubiquitous game.
This year,Radcliffe made a voice cameo in the Netflix series BoJack Horseman and had a small role in Amy Schumers Trainwreck. Hell play Igor in the new Frankenstein adaptation Victor Frankenstein, which will also star James McAvoy in the title role. The horror film will be released on November 25th.