Summary
- The only on-set crash during the filming of Gran Turismo involved Orlando Bloom, who crashed one of the GT-R’s while testing a cut post-credits scene.
- Bloom wanted a driving scene because his character doesn’t drive in the movie, but the crash happened during a test lap with an instructor evaluating his driving.
- Although the film didn’t include a post-credits scene with Bloom driving, Gran Turismo still delivers high-octane racing sequences that highlight Jann Mardenborough’s beginnings as a professional racer.
Gran Turismo director Neill Blomkamp has revealed the only on-set crash happened while they were filming a deleted post-credits scene of Orlando Bloom driving. The film focuses on how professional racer Jann Mardenborough began his career as the winner of a Gran Turismo video game tournament sponsored by Nissan. In the film, Bloom plays Danny Moore, a Nissan marketing executive that comes up with the idea for the tournament.
Speaking with MotorTrend, Blomkamp reveals there was a cut scene from Gran Turismo‘s ending set to feature Bloom’s Danny driving. However, there was a minor car crash during testing for the scene, the only accident that happened while filming. Check out what Blomkamp had to say about it below:
…the only car that got damaged on set was when Orlando Bloom crashed one of the GT-R’s.
Well, Orlando really wanted a scene in the film where he was driving because his character doesn’t drive in the movie. So we contemplated a scene at the end of the film almost as a post-credit scene for fun. In order to do that, the stunt coordinator and head of stunts had to sign off on him. They had to do a test lap with him and an instructor who could evaluate how he was driving. And then he just kind of spun out and crumpled the front quarter panel, suspension, and wheel on the car. It wasn’t the end of the world, and it was the only crash that we had. I think [Bloom] is actually a pretty good driver. It was just circumstances.
Why Gran Turismo Didn’t Need A Post-Credits Scene
Unlike many other video game movies, Gran Turismo is a biopic about the real-life beginnings of racer Mardenborough’s career. The film focuses on both his time at GT Academy as well as the races that brought his professional career to life. Bloom’s role as Danny in the movie underscores how Mardenborough had backing from Nissan to race, and how his career began because of the opportunity the car company gave him.
While it would have been interesting to see Bloom driving a car in a Gran Turismo post-credits scene, doing so may have taken away from the story’s focus on Jann and his accomplishments on the track. The sequence may have been jarring because Danny doesn’t drive throughout the film. However, had the scene been filmed, it still would have been a fun addition to the very end of the movie.
Even without Bloom’s final scene, the movie delivers plenty of high-octane racing sequences that demonstrate Mardenborough building his career. These scenes do justice to how his time as a professional racer began, clarifying his struggles and triumphs on the track. Despite the absence of its planned post-credits scene, Gran Turismo still tells the story of an underdog triumphing over unprecedented odds.
