Even though April Fools Day has come and gone, a new and strange piece of news about Grand Theft Auto has surfaced.

Grand Theft Auto V fans have a lot to be excited for as the PC version is finally nearing release next week, bringing with it a number of enhancements and modding tools for the community. While the franchise has always sold extremely well, including the most recent title on consoles, there's surprisingly never been a full fledged movie based on the series to release. If recent rumors are correct, however, all of that may be changing very soon.

According to reports, BBC Films is working on a Grand Theft Auto movie and is basing the story around a book written by David Kushner called Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto – opting to ground this film in reality rather than one of the many in-game storylines of the game series. Kushner's book details the feud that erupted between Rockstar Games co-founder and president, Sam Houser, and former Florida attorney, Jack Thompson during the mid to late 2000s.

It's also being reported that BBC Films is currently in talks with former Harry Potter actor, Daniel Radcliffe, to play the role of Sam Houser in the film. At this time, Thompson's role has not been cast. Owen Harris, the director who's had his hand at Misfits and Black Mirror, is helming this project as well. Still, it currently does not have a release timeframe, but it is scheduled to begin shooting later this month.

Gamers may remember Jack Thompson well as his claim to fame was to go after video games and media that he felt were too violent. Thompson would often attack the Grand Theft Auto franchise along with other Rockstar titles like Bully and Manhunt. It's these moral crusades that typically vilified him in the eyes of gamers and the gaming industry alike. Thompson eventually went on to be disbarred in 2008.

It's a bit surprising that a franchise like this, which consistently rakes in a ton of money at each release, has managed to go so long without having a feature film made on the series. Sony is currently working on bringing the critically acclaimed The Last of Us to theaters and with other franchises like Hitman and Resident Evil having their turns on the big screen, a movie set in the Grand Theft Auto world would seem like a very safe bet. The franchise is still wildly popular with fans and continues to be one of Rockstar Games highest selling and most sought after IPs. With Hollywood constantly looking for safe bets, this franchise seems like a no-brainer.

How do you feel about the news? Is this a project you'd like to see or would you rather see a Grand Theft Auto movie set in one of the game worlds?

Grand Theft Auto V launches for PC on April 14. It's available now on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Source: IGN (Via Hollywood Reporter)