Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI is gearing up for its release in 2025 and has already become a hot topic in gaming and entertainment circles. The stakes are high, with projected sales of 40 million copies within the first year, generating approximately $3 billion in revenue. Hollywood veteran Craig Mazin, known for his work on shows like Chernobyl and The Last of Us, speculates that only one piece of media might rival GTA 6’s success: the Bible.
In an interview with Variety, Mazin expressed his belief that GTA 6 will become “the largest-selling piece of media ever,” aside from religious texts. He’s keenly aware that the industry’s eyes will be closely monitoring how this title performs upon its launch.
The number of copies sold for the Bible is unknown, but estimations indicate it could surpass 7 billion copies worldwide. While it’s clear that GTA 6 won’t reach such heights, Mazin emphasizes Rockstar’s reputation for delivering award-winning products that push boundaries.
“People are getting used to an interesting combination of handmade, super-attentive method of making things married to size,” he noted. “As every episode approaches movie quality and intensity, it takes more time.”
The absence of a film or television adaptation for Grand Theft Auto remains a point of curiosity among fans. Take-Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that adaptations rarely yield substantial profits. This caution reflects varied attempts to adapt other popular gaming franchises into films or series. Zelnick pointed out that successful cases like HBO’s The Last of Us should not overshadow countless failures in the industry.
A recent example includes Take-Two’s adaptation attempt with Borderlands, which featured prominent actors but failed miserably at the box office, grossing just $33 million globally. Despite their setbacks, Zelnick reassures fans that Take-Two will remain selective about licensing properties moving forward.
