Dan Houser: The prospect of a Grand Theft Auto movie 'never seemed logical'

Dan Houser, the former lead writer and co-founder of Rockstar Games, mentioned that making a Grand Theft Auto film never aligned economically.

In an extensive conversation with The Ankler (subscription needed), Houser talked about his thoughts on Hollywood and his new venture's mission to create new intellectual properties that could lead to major films and games.

Houser revealed to the publication that there had been several discussions about adapting Rockstar titles like GTA and Red Dead Redemption for the big screen.

He commented,“After a few awkward dates, we’d ask [the executives], why would we do this?”.

Executives would often say it was a chance to produce a movie, to which Houser would respond by emphasizing the lack of control and the large risks involved for Rockstar.

“They thought we’d be blinded by the lights and that just wasn't the case. We had what we considered to be multi-billion-dollar IP, and the economics never made sense. The risk never made sense. In those days, the perception was that games made poor-quality movies.”

However, times have changed, leading Houser to establish Absurd Ventures.

Absurd Ventures aims to create significant franchises through cost-effective formats such as audiobooks and graphic novels. This initiative includes former Rockstar leaders Lazlow Jones and Mike Unsworth.

The first endeavor from the firm is a 12-part audio series titled 'A Better Paradise', featuring actors Andrew Lincoln and Paterson Joseph. The second, 'American Caper', will start as a crime and political graphic novel. The third project is expected to be more light-hearted and comedic, though specifics were not provided.

Houser emphasized that even if a project only remains in the form of a graphic novel or audiobook, it would be fine as long as it is good and created with integrity. The main goal is to produce high-quality work, not just marketing pieces.

The view is that some of these projects will eventually evolve into video games, bridging interactive and traditional entertainment.

"Part of why we’re doing the company this way is our belief that [gaming and traditional entertainment] are going to continue to meld and cross-pollinate,” he stated. “The question is, can our business model and theirs collaborate?”

Learn more about Houser's perspective here. (Subscription required)