Bill Paxton joins Grand Theft Auto drama

The BBC has added another leading man to Grand Theft Auto, the story of the videogame’s legal battles in the noughties, with THR reporting that Bill Paxton has signed on to take a starring role.

Based on David Kushner’s 2012 book Jacked: The Outlaw Story Of Grand Theft Auto, the film will focus on the conflict between Sam Houser, creator of Grand Theft Auto 3, and moral crusader Jack Thompson, the attorney who tried to get the game removed from shelves. Paxton will be playing the latter of the pair.

The casting comes hot on the heels of Daniel Radcliffe signing on to play Houser, with British director Owen Harris in place to helm the film. Meanwhile, screenwriter James Wood has been charged with adapting Kushner’s book into a script that has been described as a “two-hander” between Radcliffe and Paxton.

Cameras are set to begin rolling on the project next week, ahead of a proposed arrival in 2016. No specific release dates have been confirmed at this stage.

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George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.