Showrunner says GTA 6 will only be less successful than the Bible
Even before its release and with limited information revealed by Rockstar Games, GTA 6 is already shaking up the market. Analysts estimate the game will generate over $3 billion in its first year alone. The hype surrounding the title is so massive that publishers are steering clear of scheduling launches near its release window.
Craig Mazin, showrunner of the series Chernobyl and The Last of Us, shared his thoughts on the potential impact of GTA 6. In an interview with Variety, he stated that Rockstar’s game is likely to become “the best-selling piece of media ever, aside from the Bible.” Mazin also emphasized that Hollywood should keep a close eye on the game’s commercial performance.
“I’m going to take a risk here and say that Grand Theft Auto VI will be the best-selling piece of media of all time — excluding the Bible. I’m talking about any kind of cinematic media,” the showrunner said. “Grand Theft Auto V was released in 2013. The scale of these productions takes time,” he emphasized.
The Guinness Book estimates that the Bible has had between 5 and 7 billion printed copies throughout history. While it’s unlikely that GTA 6 will ever reach those numbers, Mazin believes Rockstar will deliver a large-scale project that will once again raise the bar for the entire gaming industry.
GTA 6 will not receive a film or TV adaptation
Given the size of the franchise, many players have questioned the lack of film or TV adaptations. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, explained that these kinds of projects often come with high risk and low financial return. According to him, even successful productions like The Last of Us are rare exceptions. That’s why the company prefers to maintain strict control over its intellectual properties.
In addition, Zelnick has a background in the film industry, having served as an executive at Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox. He stated that Take-Two will be highly selective when it comes to licensing its franchises, aiming to avoid failures like the Borderlands movie, which grossed only $33 million in 2024
Source: Variety
