'Gran Turismo' Film Adaptation Adds Netflix Heartthrob Darren Barnet of 'Never Have I Ever'

The breakout star from Netflix's teen romcom series is the latest addition to the film adaptation of Gran Turismo.

Another Netflix star is joining Neill Blomkamp's Gran Turismo film adaptation and this time it's Darren Barnet from Netflix's "Never Have I Ever." The 31 year old actor, who rose to international fame for playing heartthrob Paxton Hall-Yoshida in the series, joins "Stranger Things" star David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, and "Midsommar" actor Archie Madekwe.

According to Collider, Barnet is the latest addition to the Gran Turismo film adaptation, which is set to begin filming in Hungary this week. The upcoming film is being led by Blomkamp, whose credits include the critically acclaimed action thriller film "District 9" from 2009 and the 2013 dystopian science fiction film "Elysium."

Darren Barnet Joins 'Gran Turismo' Film Adaptation

While Barnet is most recognized for his role in "Never Have I Ever," he also appeared in another Netflix romcom, this time a film called "Love Hard," in which he starred alongside Nina Dobrev and comedian Jimmy O. Yang, who played Josh Lin, a man who used Barnet's face to catfish Dobrev's character. The Christmas film was released on November 5, 2021, AV Club reported.

Barnet will next be seen in the Gran Turismo film adaptation, in which he will play Madekwe's "rival at the GT Academy competition," Collider reported. The report also described Barnet's character as a "top-rated racer at the academy who is frustrated by the sudden rise of the young driver."

The report added that Blomkamp is a big fan of Gran Turismo, and will be working with scriptwriters Jason Hall and Zach Baylin for the film, which will be produced by Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan fr PlayStation Productions, with Doug Belgrad and Dana Brunetti. Kazunori Yamauchi, who created the game, will be the film's executive producer with Hall.

History of 'Gran Turismo' and Its Film Adaptation

Gran Turismo or GT for short is a racing simulation video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in 1997 for the PlayStation console. Gran Turismo 7 was released on March 4, 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

"The impact of the original Gran Turismo changed the trajectory of an entire genre, making it one of the most influential racing games ever made," IGN wrote earlier this year, after it revealed a 17-minute special on the game. But this is not the first time an attempt at making a Gran Turismo film was made.

In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Joseph Kosinski was in early talks to direct the Gran Turismo film adaptation along with producer Michael De Luca, who served as Columbia Pictures co-president. When plans fell through, another attempt to revive the project was made this year.

Variety reported that the film adaptation is set to be released on August 11, 2023 and will be "based on a true story" about a teenage Gran Turismo player who exhibited mad gaming skills during a number of Nissan competitions, helping him become an actual professional race car driver. Qizilbash expressed excitement on creating a film that would honor "one of PlayStation's longest standing and most beloved franchises."