There are a lot of promising upcoming video game adaptations on the way, and a project being tooled by the unlikely duo of Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney could be yet another great addition to that list. In case you haven’t heard, the man behind the Transformers movies and the Euphoria star are both attached to bring OutRun, a classic arcade racer, to the big screen at some point in the future.
Though I am extremely excited to see how the iconic Sega video game franchise is converted into a massive movie and dive into its world, I have to admit I’m also a tad bit apprehensive about it all. On one hand, the game’s speed and flash are perfect for a film adaptation, but on the other, there are some things that have me worried. Let’s break it all down…
Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney Are Both Obsessed With Cars, And That Has Me Excited For OutRun
When I first saw Deadline’s report about Bay directing an OutRun movie (he’s also producing alongside Sweeney), I immediately thought that it made total sense for him to make a car-centric movie. I mean, some of Bay’s best movies (Bad Boys, The Rock, Ambulance) have either featured awesome classic cars or over-the-top car chases (or both), so we’re all but guaranteed to see some flashy race sequences that look incredible on screen. This guy is more obsessed with cars than he is with the JFK assassination, and it shows.
On top of being one of the most in-demand actresses right now, Sweeney is also what you could consider a gearhead. Her love of all things cars is well documented with her 2023 Ford campaign, her time getting behind the wheel of a NASCAR car in 2024, and even her appearance in The Rolling Stones’ “Angry” music video a couple of years ago. Hell, she even restores vintage Ford Broncos in her spare time. Needless to say, she loves cars.
Great Racing Video Game Adaptations Are Few And Far Between
Though some of the best video game movies of all time have come out in the past decade, great big-screen versions of racing games are few and far between. Sure, Gran Turismo came out in 2023 and took the world by storm with its incredible sports underdog story and superb racing sequences, but that was more based on a true story instead of a straight-up video game movie.
The same can’t be said about Need for Speed, the 2014 adaptation of the classic racing game of the same name. Though Scott Waugh’s adaptation made a cool $203 million in theaters, per BoxOffice Mojo, the movie was a stinker and failed to match the excitement and energy of the game. I’m worried that while we could have another Gran Turismo hit on our hands, we could also very well have a Need for Speed repeat.
I Hope This Changes, But Sydney Sweeney Isn’t Attached To Star In The OutRun Movie
At the time of this writing, Sweeny is only listed as a producer and is not attached to star in OutRun. This is something I hope changes as the project’s development continues, because I honestly think she’s one of the best actresses for the job to lead a movie about racing around the country. I would love it even more if the roles are swapped (in the game, it’s a male driver and female passenger) and Sweeney is the one behind the wheel, and someone like her Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell is in the passenger seat.
I guess I’ll just have to be patient and see what Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney are cooking up for us. In the meantime, I’m going to find a local arcade with OutRun and dump some quarters.