Gran Turismo movie: Jann Mardenborough on his ‘gamer to racer’ career

When Sony Pictures first revealed its plans to transform the PlayStation racing simulator Gran Turismo into an animated film, the fans were baffled. Two big questions — How? How? Why not?? — were quickly answered: The Gran Turismo movie would be based not on the video game, but on the real-life story of a player turned professional racer.

Originally, the idea was to tell the story of Lucas Ordóñez, the Spanish race car driver who entered professional racing by winning a spot at GT Academy, the program that attempted to mold real-life racers out of virtual drivers. Producers eventually found another subject, British racer Jann Martinborough. He won GT Academy a few years after Ordóñez, and went on to enjoy a longer racing career, ending up in the Super GT championship in Japan.

Director District 9Neill Blomkamp is a writer, director and founder of Oats Studios. Gran Turismo is advertised as “based on a true story,” but it takes some cinematic liberties with Mardenborough’s journey from gamer to racer. Mardenborough was recently interviewed about the influence he had on the film. He also talked about his past with Gran Turismo, his love of cars and his preference for smooth jazz.

This interview has undergone editing to improve clarity.

Polygon: What Gran Turismo games did you begin with?

Jann M. MardenboroughI found it to be a very lucky story. It was a lucky find. [Gran Turismo]It was when I turned 8 years old. But it wasn’t my console and it wasn’t my game. In the U.K. we celebrate this odd celebration called Bonfire Night every year, as we want to somehow honor a man that tried to blow up Houses of parliament. We have fireworks every year to celebrate this. My parents’ friends had this party, and instead of watching the Bonfire display — because I didn’t like fireworks — I went into the living room and started playing GT1On a PlayStation One.

It was the first time I played. It was my first time playing. [I drove]Autumn Ring. I had a purple or pink Mitsubishi 3000GT. For the next week after I got home from primary, I went over every time. After a while, my parents got tired of me showing up so often. They gave them the PlayStation One. [Gran Turismo], and that’s where the obsession of gaming started. The Gran Turismos have been my constant companions since then. [the original]Through 7. But it started with a console that wasn’t mine.

If you are new to Gran Turismo, the starter car is always the cheapest. Are you nostalgic or romantic about a specific early-level street car?

The first car I ever owned. [Gran Turismo]Because it was a three thousand GT. It’s probably available on the second-hand car market. I don’t remember what I had in [Gran Turismo 2]I don’t remember exactly what I ate, but I do recall the taste. 3 — a Toyota Yaris. And I never liked those starter cars, because you have all these nice fast cars, but you can’t afford them. Then you’ll have to endure all those boring races, before the real fun begins. And I don’t really like the Mazda Demio or a Yaris.

Image: Sony Pictures

Archie Madekwe, who plays you in the movie, is shown driving his dad’s VW Corrado. Does it have any relation to the real world? Was that your parents’ car?

No, that was Neill’s choice. I mean, my parents never had a cool car like a VR6 Corrado, because that car, for car people, it’s special. It has a great engine. The noise is great. It’s got that [active rear] spoiler. When I was growing up, all my parents owned one really cool car. It was a Peugeot 309 GTI in red. But that’s the only cool car they had. They couldn’t find a GTI [for the movie] because they’ve all rusted out.

What Was The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us.What is your first car?

I still own it. It’s a 1991 blue BMW 318is. It was actually the car that I drove to GT Academy. It was my very first experience driving on a highway. And I wasn’t sure whether it would make it. My first long-distance journey was a great experience. [going] to GT Academy — and I could never get rid of [that car]I have a history of using it.

How did you find the experience of watching this shortened and remixed version?

You’re right it’s condensed, because it’s really four years of racing in two hours, 10 minutes. I’m really happy, actually, the way that they teed up my life before racing, how I found [GT Academy]. and the process of the academy. Because for 12 years, I’ve always had people ask me, “So how did you get into racing?” When I start explaining it, I can understand by their facial expression that they don’t really understand what I’m talking about, because it’s quite hard to conceptualize the whole process.

It’s not like they can show every single race I did before getting my international license, or all the races I did before I did Le Mans, but they do a good job of explaining the process of getting your race license. The races I participated in — Red Bull Ring, Le Mans, Dubai, Nürburgring — it’s not necessarily in the right order, or sequence of events, but those events happened. I get it. It’s part of storytelling. There’s a compromise to be made, compared to real life. It’s not a documentary.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP Photo via Getty Images

You had a lot of influence on the writing. How did you convey to Neill, the producer and yourself the feeling of driving a GT4 for the very first time in the film?

[When I first]As we talked about the movie and the likelihood of its happening, I mentioned that there were only two conditions: I want the actor to look just like me. They also have to use my name. Second, I had a request. [they said] “Maybe we can’t promise your name, because it’s quite difficult to pronounce for Americans.” But we managed to get both of those things in there, which is great.

Sony and myself were on the same page when we received the first script. The script was meant to be a representation of me. […]All the scripts were written by me. The first time the script arrived, all of us spent about seven hours in a conference call. It was line-by-line, word-by word, that I went through to see what the problem was. I was heavily involved with the many scripts.

[I wanted it to be] representative of me, the Gran Turismo gaming community, and also racing drivers, because I’m representing three camps, really. It was a great blessing that the producers were open to hearing my ideas, as it needed to feel representative. Off-set and on-set, I had constant contact with Neill the director and producers. I didn’t have a role in, say, the casting. However, I was kept informed. It really couldn’t have gone any better.

You did stunt driving in the film? How was it for you to do stunt driving?

Steve Kelso, the stunt coordinator of the film, asked producers to contact me. His idea was to cast me as me [and] stunt double [myself]The movie. That hasn’t been done before in a biopic — unless Tom Cruise comes out with a biopic, it hasn’t been done before. [laughs]

Sam Bloxham/Formula Motorsport Limited Photo via Getty Images

I was behind the wheel of all the shots. And I feel very proud, ’cause I’m a racing-movie fan. I critique all the racing stuff, because I’m involved in that sport. So now that I’m part of the stunt team, there was no excuse for something not looking right. It was great. I was able to watch how movies were made. All the stunt drivers, they all said, “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had on a movie before, because there was so much driving.” I mean, I did over 2,000 kilometers while I was on set in a few months. […]It was an amazing experience. I’d like to do more of that in the future.

You are a car enthusiast and that is the basis of your story. What has changed in the past 10 years or evolved?

Yeah, I’m still a huge Cars fan. It’s quite strange, being in the industry for 12 years — when you talk to racing drivers, not many racing drivers are actually big car fans. But I’m a huge petrolhead. I want to own many cars, especially from the ’90s, mid-’90s, that’s my era. I own three. I like to drive quickly, I like to have fun in my cars — it’s part of my hobby, maintaining them. Cars are the best expression of freedom and individualism. It’s such a special thing, having your own car. It’s limitless what you can do with it.

The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us Gran TurismoThis book is mostly about your personal life, but it also touches on your professional career. the game’s creator, Kazunori Yamauchi. What’s your relationship with him been like over the years?

The first time I met Kazunori, it must have been around 2012 or so. It’s still a big deal to this day. His passion for racing cars and Gran Turismo just shines through — you feel it when you play the games. The attention to detail he has — you have to be passionate about that. While he was creating GT1You can also find out more about the following: GT2He went back home twice in a period of just 14 months. Although he is a resident of Tokyo, he still visits home every year. [Polyphony Digital]He went back home twice within 14 months, even though his office was in Tokyo.

Photo: Clive Rose – Gran Turismo/Gran Turismo via Getty Images

So when you’re using someone’s creation that was made with pure passion, to use that as a stepping stone to jump into something which is my passion — racing cars — there’s a mutual kind of synergy. I can see how passionate he was about his creation, and he’s looking at me, going, This is the result of all my hard work. I’m very appreciative, because I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t have a passion for making Gran Turismo.

Kaz Make a cameo as a sushi chef in the film — so what’s your go-to sushi order?

Unagi-don, barbequed eel over rice, but it has to be cooked in the Western style of Japan — barbequed, not boiled. Amazing things can be found in Japan. [unagi]Restaurants around Suzuka Circuit, Japan

OK. Last question. Do you listen to Kenny G, Enya and other music before races? I couldn’t tell if that was factual or a bit.

That’s real, man! Neill texted me, like, June of last year, and asked me, “What music do you listen to before a race?” He’d message me at random times; often he just wants to know little tidbits. And I said, “Yeah, Kenny G” — specifically the song “Songbird.” It’s the only type of music I know for certain that brings me down quite a few levels before getting into the car. That’s true. I love Enya, too. It was on Jeremy Clarkson when I first heard it. Motorworld videos.

So yeah, when I’m racing and there’s so much going on around me all the time, music calms me down, and it’s that. Never forget that.