David Harbour will eventually come back as Chief Jim Hopper in the final season of Stranger Things. It could be in 2026, it could be much later than that, given how things are moving with production on the hit Netflix series. But you can still turn on Netflix to watch Harbour as a mentor figure before that happens in something else.
Harbour ventured into the realm of sports drama with Gran Turismo in 2023, a film currently making waves on Netflix. While his character in Stranger Things exudes gruffness and authority, in Gran Turismo, Harbour takes on the role of Jack Salter, a former professional racer turned mentor.
Directed by Neill Blomkamp and penned by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin, Gran Turismo is a biographical sports drama. The film draws inspiration from the renowned racing video game series of the same name developed by Polyphony Digital. The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Orlando Bloom, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner, and Djimon Hounsou.
Gran Turismo follows the true story of Jann Mardenborough (portrayed by Archie Madekwe), a teenage Gran Turismo player who transitions from a gaming enthusiast to a professional racing car driver. Harbour’s character, Jack Salter, plays a pivotal role as the mentor guiding Mardenborough through the challenges of transforming virtual racing skills into real-world success.
The film explores the journey of aspiring racers and the challenges they face in the competitive world of professional motorsports. Jann Mardenborough’s real-life tragedy at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2015, which is a pivotal part of the film, involved a severe crash during his race. The incident resulted in the loss of a spectator’s life.
Despite mixed reviews from critics, who lauded Blomkamp’s direction and gripping racing sequences but critiqued the writing, Gran Turismo had a decent run at the box office, earning $121.9million on a budget of $60million.
Despite its formulaic script, Gran Turismo offers viewers an adrenaline-pumping experience, making it a perfect Netflix action binge. Speaking to Collider about how Blomkamp used long lenses to get close-up shots and drones to get the action soaring, David Harbour noted, “Then he also was doing this crazy stuff with drone cameras where they had all these guys with [FPV] drones going 160 miles an hour, weaving in and out of these cars, and they were just crashing them all over the tracks. I mean, it was nuts what they were doing.”
You can watch Gran Turismo on Netflix and catch the trailer below.
