The Grand Theft Auto Movie That Never Happened
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is one of the biggest video game franchises in history, yet it has never been turned into a movie. While other popular games like Warcraft, Uncharted, Resident Evil, and Tomb Raider have made it to the big screen, GTA once had a chance to become a film—starring Eminem. However, the project never moved forward.
Eminem Was Almost in a GTA Movie
Kirk Ewing, a friend of GTA creators Sam and Dan Houser, shared the story on Bugzy Malone’s Grandest Game podcast. After Grand Theft Auto III became a hit in 2001, a Hollywood agent pitched the idea of a movie.
At the time, Eminem was at the peak of his career following the success of his 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP. The agent offered $5 million for the movie rights, with Tony Scott (Top Gun director) set to direct.
Ewing called Sam Houser to share the offer. “They want Eminem in the Grand Theft Auto movie, and Tony Scott to direct,” he recalled. But Houser wasn’t interested. “They realized that GTA was already bigger than any movie at the time,” Ewing explained.
Eminem’s Acting Career
Although the GTA movie never happened, Eminem went on to star in 8 Mile (2002), a semi-autobiographical film about a young rapper trying to make it in Detroit. He also had smaller roles in Funny People (2009) and The Interview (2014). He is now set to appear in the upcoming Happy Gilmore sequel. If the GTA movie had been made, Eminem’s acting career might have been even bigger.
Dr. Dre’s Connection to GTA
While Eminem never entered the GTA world, his mentor Dr. Dre did in 2021. He starred in The Contract, a DLC for Grand Theft Auto Online, alongside Jimmy Iovine, DJ Pooh, and Anderson .Paak. The mission revolved around recovering Dre’s stolen phone.
Dre also provided new music for the game, including the song ‘Gospel’, which featured Eminem. Other artists like Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Ty Dolla $ign, and Nipsey Hussle also contributed.
Surprisingly, Dre had no idea what GTA was before working on it. DJ Pooh told Rolling Stone, “He’s not a gamer at all, but when he saw how deep the game was, he was blown away.”
A Missed Opportunity?
Despite the failed movie deal, Grand Theft Auto remains one of the most successful gaming franchises ever. While we might never see a GTA film, its impact on music, entertainment, and culture continues to grow.
Rockstar Games has reportedly turned down a $5M offer to make a GTA movie starring Marshall Mathers, also known as Eminem. pic.twitter.com/lNunNOn5Lw
— GTA 6 Countdown ⏳ (@GTAVI_Countdown) November 15, 2022
