After a lot (and I mean a lot) of time eagerly wishing to know something (official) about Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar fans were graced a few days ago with some amazing news: next month, we’ll have the first trailer of the game. As many might guess, this set the Internet on fire, and GTA was once again on everyone’s lips (if it ever stopped being there).
With this fantastic news, the enthusiasm from fans and specialized media was more than evident, even going as far as asking for or requesting a future movie about the GTA series. I mean, seeing how Nintendo is working with Sony on a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda and considering GTA is a very cinematic experience, why not, right?
Well, if you had any hope invested in this idea, we suggest you lock it away deep in your imagination and throw away the key. Just a few days ago, Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two, announced that the Rockstar parent company isn’t interested in bringing GTA to the big screen. Why? Simply put, it’s not worth it for them.
If Rockstar had already broken our hearts by confirming that they wouldn’t release a story mode DLC for the long-running GTA V due to the massive success of its online mode, it’s now Take-Two, through its CEO, who’s leaving us crying on the ground for exactly the same reason.
“Cinema and television are very tough businesses,” stated Zelnick. “I’ve been successful in them. They’re a great challenge. It’s not what we do. We prefer the risk/reward profile of the business we’re in.”
Certainly, Take-Two could license its IP to other companies to create series or movies, retaining a (juicy) portion of the profits. But the CEO also considered this possibility, citing the example of the Barbie movie: while the film generated a not-so-discreet $125 million in toy sales (all for Mattel), Zelnick asserts that this is only “a fraction” of what his company earns from its games.
In summary: slim chances of success and potential profits that, at best, would be insignificant for a company that declared a $1.3 billion profit solely in its last fiscal quarter thanks to its “little games.” I’m sorry to break your hopes, dear reader, but it seems like it’s a no-go.
