Did you know the 2023 sports drama Gran Turismo was based on a true story? Of course you did — that phrase was on every ad and poster for the movie. But it’s still kind of astonishing that its story, about a young fan of Sony’s sim-racing series who graduated to a career as a real-life racing driver, is indeed taken from the life of GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), if only because his life fits the sports-movie formula so perfectly.
One thing the movie could use a little more of, though, as it races from one high-octane motorsports beat to the next, is a sense of how this whirlwind related to Jann’s personal life. His home situation is carefully set up at the start of the movie: We see what his skeptical dad Steve (Djimon Hounsou), supportive mom Lesley (Geri Halliwell-Horner), and competitive brother Coby (Daniel Puig) made of Jann’s rise from gamer to competitive racer. Those characters disappear in later acts, victims of the film’s tight edit — so it’s a pleasure to meet them all again in this deleted scene, which is included in the movie’s digital release (available Oct. 23), as well as the forthcoming DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K discs (out Nov. 7).
The scene shows Jann meeting his family at a fancy restaurant for dinner — his treat — and letting them know that, following his success at GT Academy, he’s signed a contract to drive for Nissan Motorsports as a fully paid-up pro. But it isn’t quite the celebration Jann wanted. His parents seem dubious, while Coby, a would-be soccer pro himself (like their dad), can’t bring himself to take the news graciously.
The sequence nicely fills in some of the emotional texture the movie missed out on in its headlong rush for the feel-good finish line. Plus, we get more of the great Djimon Hounsou and his world-class disapproving frown — never a bad thing.
As well as this and other deleted and extended scenes, the digital, 4K, and Blu-ray versions of Gran Turismo include special features on the movie’s cast, visual effects, stunt work, and stable of cars, as well as on the true story of Jann Mardenborough.
Gran Turismo is out now on digital, and will be released Nov. 7 on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.