Following this month's casting rumors, BBC Two has confirmed that both Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton will star in the new factual drama about Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto, Game Changer (working title).
For those unfamiliar, this special 90-minute drama will tell the story of the controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto, "arguably the greatest British coding success story since Bletchley Park."
It'll explore "the story of an extraordinary chapter in the history of this iconic game, and reveals the major impact it has had on our cultureal landscape," a statement from the BBC reads. "But the violent gameplay coupled with its outstanding commercial success leads to fierce opposition: from parents worried about children immersing themselves in such a violent world; from politicians, alarmed at the values they say it encourages; and above all from moral campaigners, who fight passionately to ban it."
As rumored, Radcliffe will play Rockstar Games' president and co-founder Sam Houser. Bill Paxton will play Jack Thompson, the formidable campaigning lawyer determined to stop the relentless rise of Grand Theft Auto.
Game Changer is written by James Wood (Rev, Ambassadors); directed by Owen Harris (Kill Your Friends, Black Mirror, Holy Flying Circus, Misfits); produced by Jim Spencer (Pride, All Stars, Monsters); executive produced by Mark Hedgecoe (The Challenger) and commissioned by Tom McDonald, head of natural history and specialist factual formats.
On a side note, back in 2013, following the release of Grand Theft Auto 5, which occurred around the same time as the Navy Yard shooting, Thompson posted a lengthy letter he had written to Take-Two. Responding to our take on the issue, Thomspon got into it with GameZone editor Lance Liebl, accusing Lance of "pimping for" the video game industry.
