A new report claims that Rockstar Games previously rejected a proposal for a Grand Theft Auto movie starring Eminem. Back in 2013, Rockstar co-founder Dan House revealed that the studio had received multiple offers for a GTA movie over the years but nothing appealed to him. According to games industry veteran Kirk Ewing, who happens to be friends with the Houser brothers, Top Gun director Tony Scott was involved in one of the rejected proposals.
Rockstar co-founder “not interested” in Grand Theft Auto movie
Speaking on the BBC podcast Bugzy Malone’s Grandest Game, Ewing revealed that the conversation about a GTA movie took place around the same time Eminem had wrapped up filming 8 Mile (2002). The rapper was already enjoying massive success following the release of The Marshall Mathers LP two years prior. Ewing recalled received a phone call from an LA producer who asked, “‘Kirk we’ve got Eminem to star, and it’s a Tony Scott film – $5m on the nose. Are you interested?'”
Ewing called up Sam Houser to tell him about Eminem and Tony Scott’s involvement. His response? A firm “no.” Ewing believes that the Houser brothers “realized that the media franchise that they had was bigger than any movie that was going on at the time.”
