Gran Turismo" movie tells the story of Mardenborough, a gamer turned racer.

When Sony Pictures announced that the "Gran Turismo" video game series was being made into a movie, the plot was about a teenage gamer who becomes a real-world racing driver. It turns out that the plot is based on a true story.

In a recent Sony tweet confirming the start of filming, the company said the movie, scheduled for release on August 11, 2023, will be based on the career of British driver Jann Mardenborough, who won a racing seat playing Gran Turismo.

Mardenborough was one of several drivers who made the transition from video games to professional racing through the GT Academy, a competition sponsored by "Gran Turismo" publisher Sony Computer Entertainment and Nissan From 2008 to 2016 From 2008 to 2016, GT Academy pitted players against each other for the chance to become a Nissan factory driver.

Mardenborough won the 2011 GT Academy championship at the age of 19 and competed in the British GT Championship the following year; in 2013 he competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing third in the LMP2 class behind fellow GT Academy graduate Lucas Ordonez.

Despite a crash at the Nürburgring in 2015 that killed a spectator, Mardenborough returned to Le Mans that year and competed in the LMP1 class in the ill-fated Nissan GT-R LM Nismo. The car featured an innovative front engine design with ducts in the body to generate downforce, but was uncompetitive and unreliable due to a fast-paced development program. Le Mans 2015 was the only race in which Mardenborough and co-drivers Max Chilton and Olivier Pla were unable to finish.

This ill-fated Le Mans appearance was Mardenborough's most high-profile moment to date. He went on to race in the Japanese Super Formula and Super GT series. In January 2021, Race reported that he was looking for a new manufacturer sponsor. While things seem to have stalled for Mardenborough, his rise from teenage gamer to Le Mans competitor definitely seems Hollywood-worthy.