Grand Theft Auto Movie 2025 – Top Rumors, Fan Projects & Rockstar’s Position
As anticipation for GTA 6 reaches a boiling point, 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for Rockstar Games. Alongside game-related buzz, one topic has taken center stage online: Is a Grand Theft Auto Movie finally happening in 2025? The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.
From fan-made cinematic experiments to viral trailers starring Will Smith as CJ, and even Rockstar’s own comments on a potential Hollywood adaptation—this guide will break down everything we know so far about the Grand Theft Auto Movie 2025.
Is There a Real Grand Theft Auto Movie Coming in 2025?
Short answer: No, not in the traditional Hollywood sense.
However, a fan-made film titled “Grand Theft Hamlet” has been making waves in the indie circuit. It’s not a Rockstar-backed production, but rather a documentary-style film entirely set within GTA Online, and it’s scheduled to launch on the streaming platform MUBI in early 2025.
Grand Theft Hamlet – What We Know:
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Set entirely in GTA Online’s world of Los Santos
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Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
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Follows two friends trying to reenact Hamlet during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Premiered at events like SXSW
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Produced without Rockstar’s involvement
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Official release via MUBI expected in Q1 2025
This unique take on virtual storytelling blends gameplay, roleplay, and real-life themes, offering something fans of the franchise might find fresh—though not the big-budget adaptation they were hoping for.
Will Smith as CJ in a San Andreas Movie? Let’s Debunk It
In late 2024, a YouTube video titled “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Official Trailer (2025) ft. Will Smith as CJ” gained viral attention. It claimed that Will Smith would star in a live-action GTA San Andreas movie as Carl “CJ” Johnson.
Let’s set the record straight:
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The video is fan-made and consists of edited footage from various unrelated films
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The voiceover is likely AI-generated, not recorded by Will Smith
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No official confirmation of such a movie exists
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Rockstar and Take-Two have never acknowledged or endorsed the project
While entertaining, the trailer is a work of fiction designed to capitalize on fan nostalgia and YouTube virality.
Could a GTA Movie Ever Happen for Real?
The idea of a Grand Theft Auto movie is not new. In fact, Rockstar Games has been approached multiple times by Hollywood studios over the years. But the company’s leadership has remained cautious.
Dan Houser (Rockstar Co-founder) – 2024 Interview Highlights:
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Rockstar has no interest in losing creative control
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Past proposals were described as “awkward dates” with studios
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Houser said studios pitched ideas that would give Rockstar “no control but all the risk”
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Rockstar wasn’t convinced that a film adaptation would reflect the tone or quality of their billion-dollar IP
“The economics never made sense. The risk never made sense. […] They thought we’d be blinded by the lights, but that just wasn’t the case.”
— Dan Houser to The Ankler
Take-Two Interactive’s Position on a GTA Movie
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick also weighed in during a 2016 interview with The Wrap, emphasizing the company’s lack of in-house expertise in film production.
Key reasons a GTA movie hasn’t been made:
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They would demand full creative control
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They would need to finance the film themselves
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They lack the internal infrastructure for movie production
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The risk of misrepresenting the franchise is too high
“We’d want to have complete creative control to make sure we expressed [GTA] in the way we wanted — and that would mean we’d need to finance that motion picture.”
— Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two CEO
Why Hollywood Is Still Interested in Grand Theft Auto
Despite Rockstar’s reluctance, the demand for a Grand Theft Auto film is undeniable. The success of recent game adaptations like:
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie
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The Last of Us (HBO)
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Sonic the Hedgehog
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Fallout (Amazon Prime, 2025)
…has proven that video games can translate into critical and commercial success when handled properly.
If Rockstar ever changes its stance, GTA is a prime candidate for adaptation thanks to:
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Iconic locations like Vice City, San Andreas, and Liberty City
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Memorable characters (Tommy Vercetti, CJ, Niko Bellic)
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Themes of crime, corruption, freedom, and chaos that naturally fit Hollywood’s crime thriller genre
What Fans Really Want: A GTA 6 Update
Interestingly, much of the excitement around GTA movie rumors is fueled by the slow drip of information about GTA 6. Since the December 2023 reveal trailer, Rockstar has gone radio silent.
Fans are hoping for:
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A second trailer
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Concrete gameplay details
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Confirmation of the release date, rumored for Fall 2025
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More info on the new protagonists, including the first female lead in franchise history
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New features in Vice City, the reimagined setting based on Miami
Rockstar’s next earnings call is scheduled for November 6, and it might offer more insight—or fuel further speculation.
FAQs
Is the Grand Theft Auto Movie 2025 real?
Not in the traditional sense. A fan-made documentary titled Grand Theft Hamlet is set in GTA Online and will be released in 2025 via MUBI, but no official Rockstar film is in production.
Will Rockstar make a GTA movie one day?
Currently, Rockstar has no plans to make a film adaptation. The company values creative control and sees high risk with limited reward.
Is Will Smith starring as CJ in a GTA San Andreas movie?
No. The trailer circulating online is fan-made, using AI and unrelated footage. There is no confirmed film with Will Smith as CJ.
Is GTA 6 delayed?
GTA 6 is still officially slated for Fall 2025, but fans are anxious due to the lack of new information since the first trailer.
What is Grand Theft Hamlet about?
It’s a documentary-style film shot entirely in GTA Online, where two friends attempt to perform Hamlet during the pandemic.
Could the success of other game adaptations change Rockstar’s mind?
Possibly, but Rockstar has historically rejected offers from Hollywood due to concerns over control and brand representation.
Conclusion
The Grand Theft Auto Movie 2025 isn’t what most fans expected—but it’s still a fascinating part of the GTA universe’s ongoing evolution. While no official movie is in development, the emergence of fan projects like Grand Theft Hamlet, combined with the buzz around GTA 6, shows how eager the community is to see Rockstar’s world brought to life on screen.
For now, the streets of Vice City, San Andreas, and Liberty City will remain in the players’ hands—not Hollywood’s. But as the industry evolves and game adaptations continue to thrive, never say never.
Stay tuned for our next guide: GTA 6 Trailer 2 – What to Expect, coming soon!