The BBC have unveiled the first trailer for their upcoming TV drama based on Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series. Titled ‘The Gamechangers’, the show will follow the overwhelming success of the franchise following the release of the revolutionary Grand Theft Auto III. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is seen portraying Rockstar president Sam Houser, with Bill Paxton (Apollo 13) starring as attorney Jack Thompson, who has long campaigned against the franchise.
Just a few months ago, Rockstar filed a lawsuit against the BBC, stating “our goal is to ensure that our trademarks are not misused in the BBC’s pursuit of an unofficial depiction of purported events related to Rockstar Games. We have attempted multiple times to resolve this matter with the BBC without any meaningful resolution. It is our obligation to protect our intellectual property and unfortunately in this case litigation was necessary.”
Although the BBC has seemingly pressed on with The Gamechangers, they removed the official trailer swiftly after uploading it, indicating perhaps that a legal threat from Rockstar still remains. As of now, the show is set to debut on September 15th on BBC Two — no word has currently been given on an international release.
