Which Movie Was Inspired by GTA Online and Fortnite?

Have you ever heard of a movie taking inspiration from different online games? And those games are not just any game but the ones that are insanely famous. No, we aren’t claiming that the storyline of the movie was based on any game, but some parts of it surely look like they took inspiration from somewhere. We are talking about Free Guy, which was allegedly inspired by GTA Online, Fortnite, and MMORPGs, and we are about to tell you how exactly all these are linked together!

Free Guy Storyline

There is no official statement that the movie was inspired by some specific game. The storyline of the game does depict that the character and the movie both highly relate to not just one but a few games. You might understand that when you read Free Guy’s story if you haven’t watched the 2021 film.

The action-comedy called ‘Free Guy’ is not your contemporary movie. It is a story of a random ‘Guy’, played by Ryan Reynolds, who would be called an NPC (non-playable character) in any game because he is not the protagonist. Yes, the main character of the movie is not the protagonist but rather a side guy. His life is as mundane and bound to his routine as any NPC in a video game. But in the movie, this NCP actually experiences self-awareness and turns around his life after what he discovers.

The Guy, who is a cheerful bank teller, unknowingly lives inside a fictional open-world video game called Free City. After going to-and-fro from his home to the bank and back home, Guy one day meets a girl called Molotov Girl played by Jodie Comer. The girl charms the Guy enough that she inspires him to do something unusual and buy a pair of sunglasses from a player. These sunglasses change his entire being as he can see now the world like fictional game players see in a video game.

He can now see:

1. Health bars
2. Experience points
3. Missions
4. Weapons
5. Loot
6. Maps
7. Player usernames

This makes him realize he was living inside a video game without ever knowing it. Then the story finally kick-starts when ‘Guy’ becomes the hero and is now a part of a battle and real world conflicts which he didn’t know would follow him once he wears those sunglasses.

Elements of GTA Online which inspired Free Guy

The Free City in Free Guy is so much like the city of Los Santos from GTA Online. I have seen it myself and those who have played GTA online and seen Free Guy movies confirm it too. If you have also played the game and watched the movie, you will understand what we are talking about. Here are the details that make the comparison easier.

1. In GTA online, city life goes on normally with all NCPs doing their regular work. They are unbothered by the player and his doings. The exact thing happens in Free Guy movie.
2. The world of GTA Online is chaotic and has an open world setting. Similarly, Free Guy also has a chaotic open world setting where all the action, drama, and adventure takes place. This open world in both the movie and game includes players driving recklessly in all their high-speed cars and bikes, people getting killed, bank robberies are taking place, some random explosion happens somewhere in the background.
3. Just like there are multiple side missions and quests in GTA Online, Free Guy is also infused with helping NCPs, completing tasks, and unlocking new abilities.

This might look like just a slight resemblance of the game to the movie. But the blue-shirt ‘Guy’ does look like he is a GTA online player. Doing what he always does in a place that looks too similar to the virtual world.

Where does Fortnite portrays its inspiration in Free Guy?

As you know, cosmetic customization is central to player identity in Fortnite. The same is shown in the movie with characters wearing crazy and vibrant outfits with weird masks. The bright and colorful world of Free City also resembles Fortnite with its powerful visual effects that match a lot with the aesthetics of Fortnite. Do you know about Fortnite’s famous emotes? Those iconic emotes are also represented in Free Guy with dances and celebrations happening throughout every victory. The exact form of joy that is shown in Fortnite.

How Free Guy took inspiration from MMORPGs

If you have ever played MMORPGs, you will know how characters have levels in the game. They do their tasks, outperform their previous performance and then level up in the game. This theme of leveling up of the primary character has been adapted in the movie Free Guy from MMORPGs according to what it looks like.

Remember how we mentioned the ‘Guy’ after discovering the video game world and gains self-awareness, becomes a hero rather than a destructive villain or anti-hero? This part of the movie also looks like it has taken inspiration from MMORPGs. Because in the movie, Guy is seen saving civilians, completing missions and improving his image rather than going on a rampage over his own city.

Another thing that mirrors MMORPGs to Free Guy is its loot missions and inventory planning. The Guy in the movie is seen collecting better weapons to protect civilians, items that are good for health, and focusing on upgrading his powers. Much like what players have to do in MMORPGs.

Was the inspiration ever made official?

The movie, Free Guy, is an original story and not an adaption of any game. The makers of the movie did say that the movie is inspired by the world of video gaming. But there is no mention of any game, including GTA Online, that became the inspiration for the movie’s story or atmosphere. Director Shawn Levy, writer Matt Lieberman, and star Ryan Reynolds have all discussed how the film was shaped by gaming culture. Especially the open-world multiplayer games. But that’s all they have to say about the crossover of gaming and movies.

The final verdict:

For a creative person, inspiration can be anything. It doesn’t matter the size of the thing that inspires creativity in his mind. Given the fact that the world of movies and the world of gaming is so vast, one cannot imagine what drives inspiration to create that art. But what makes the two worlds interesting is that they share a few things in common. Both have storylines and protagonists and both are created to entertain the masses. The only difference is, one runs on its own and tells its story. While the other needs us to unfold what it has inside for us to enjoy.

Is there any other movie that you think took inspiration from games or vice versa? Do let us know. For more such interesting stories and observations, stay tuned to mgcbuzz.com. We will make sure the world of entertainment always lights up your real world.