The School of Rock star also named another classic game that should have it’s own big screen adaptation.
Jack Black has said that he “can’t believe” that both the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption video game franchises have not yet been made into films or TV series.
Both titles were created and developed by Rockstar Games, and a sixth instalment of the GTA franchise is expected to drop sometime next year.
The trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6, which dropped late last year, became the most-viewed video game reveal on YouTube within 24 hours.
Speaking in an interview with Total Film ahead of the release of Eli Roth’s new Borderlands film, which is an adaptation of the hugely successful video game series, Black was asked if there are any other big gaming titles that he would love to see transitioned to the big screen.
“I can’t believe they haven’t already started making a movie of any of the Rockstar Games – Grand Theft Auto, but especially Red Dead Redemption,” he said.
“Those things are already like movies, you know? I guess that’s the thing. Some video games are already halfway there to telling those kind of stories, and there are some movies that are like video games.”
Black is no stranger to the world of video game adaptations. Earlier this year, it was announced that the 54-year-old actor and musician will voice the character of Stevie in the upcoming live-action Minecraft movie.
While GTA and Red Dead Redemption are the flagship games of Rockstar, the company has also produced titles such as Max Payne, Midnight Club and Bully.
The company have constantly put down rumours of a GTA film in the works over the years and in 2022, a former employee revealed to the BBC that a pitch for a movie was rejected that would have starred Eminem as the lead character.
Appearing on the podcast Bugzy Malone’s Grandest Game, Kirk Ewing said: “Because of the relationship that I had with Rockstar and I had with Sam, I actually tracked him down to his hotel room one night where I knew he was going to be staying and the two of us stayed up late and talked about the possibility of making a film, and this was just after GTA 3. And I think at that point, you know, it was still in Sam’s mind that it might be something that he wanted to do.
“I remember taking a call about 4am from a producer in Los Angeles with an offer to make a film, and he said: ‘Kirk, we’ve got Eminem to star, and it’s a Tony Scott film, five million on the nose, are you interested?’ and I phoned up Sam and said ‘Look, listen to this, they want Eminem in the Grand Theft Auto movie and Tony Scott to direct, and he said: ‘Not interested’.
Kirk continued: “At that point, they withdrew from any conversation about making a film, when they realised that the media franchise that they had, what they had, was bigger than any movie that was going on at the time.”
Imagine that? A GTA film starring Marshall Mathers. Not even Jack Black would be able to contain his excitement for that one.
While we’re left to dream about the possibility of a GTA or Red Dead Redemption blockbuster, Jack Black expressed just last week that he would love to make a second School of Rock film.
In an exclusive interview with JOE, Black has confirmed that it is something he would love to do.
“I wish there’d be a School of Rock 2 Electric Boogaloo,” he said. “I’m ready.”
He continued: “You know Mike White wrote the first one and he’s a genius.
“And we’d have to have Mike White back in the saddle, but he’s real busy right now with White Lotus, the best show on TV.”
While the prospect of Eminem stealing cars and robbing banks in a GTA film remains something we can only enjoy via our imaginations, it’s reassuring to know that we may see another Dewey stage dive in our lifetime.
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