Bill Paxton In Talks To Play Jack Thompson In 'Grand Theft Auto'

Game over, man! The Grand Theft Auto movie just got weirder, and perhaps more awesome. The BBC production features Daniel Radcliffe as Sam Houser, aka one half of the sibling duo that has guided Rockstar Games and the Grand Theft Auto series to video game domination.

The film's story revolves around a specific period in the company's history, when Rockstar and GTA were under fire from firebrand Florida attorney Jack Thompson. And now we'll see Bill Paxton in Grand Theft Auto as Jack Thompson, going a long way towards ensuring that we'll be unable to look away from the BBC Films production.

THR has the news. The film is based on the book Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto, by David Kushner. Interestingly, the trade calls the script, by James Wood, a "two-hander," which suggests that Paxton and Radcliffe will not only be the two primary characters, but that the film will feature them interacting to a great extent.

Here's some promo copy for the book, which only hints at what the film will cover:

How does a group of young underdogs with big dreams but little experience transform a culture and industry? In the case of the $75 billion video game business, it helps if the outfit is run by a brash iconoclast with the vision of an outlaw and the work ethic of a Puritan—and grew up madly in love with gangster movies, video games, and rap music. It also helps if the company makes the most revolutionary, controversial, and successful video game franchise ever—Grand Theft Auto.

This is a pop culture story for the ages. It begins in the back alleys of Dundee, Scotland, where the geeky geniuses at DMA Design invented GTA. Fledgling marketer and rebellious gamer Sam Houser saw GTA's enormous potential and pushed DMA to make it bolder, wilder, and funnier, and let players freely explore the game's gritty cities, wreaking havoc whenever they pleased. With its groundbreaking innovations and cinematic flair, GTA quickly became the centerpiece of Houser's new company, Rockstar Games, and the hottest title on the planet. But one of America's most notorious culture warriors, Jack Thompson, had his own mission—to ensure that GTA was banned from store shelves for corrupting youth and to bring Rockstar to their knees—even as the gamers of the world rallied against him.

Grand Theft Auto begins shooting next week, on April 20. Owen Harris (Misfits, Black Mirror), is directing.