Grand Theft Auto 6 has finally been revealed, and yeah -I can’t quite believe it either. But, now that we’ve seen Vice City and its surrounding areas in glorious, modern detail, and after being introduced to Lucia and her partner, we can start picking apart what might be in store when GTA 6 lands in 2025.
The Grand Theft Auto series has a long history of referencing the big screen for its main missions, story themes, and we expect GTA 6 to follow suit, so here are 6 movies that the upcoming action game absolutely must reference.
I’m going to start with the Al Pacino-shaped elephant in the room.GTA 6 is obviously going to reference Scarface. Especially since Vice City did so numerous times back in 2002 with Tommy Vercetti clearly based on Tony Montana. So whether there’s a cocaine-filled shootout through a giant mansion, or something a bit more subtle, we’ll no doubt find plenty of Easter Eggs related to the iconic Brian De Palma movie.
This aside, missions based on True Lies, an excellent Arnie-fick directed by James Cameron, would offer an interesting take. We know that the core protagonists of GTA 6 are partners in more than just crime, making True Lies’ story of a husband and wife finding themselves in the middle of a terrorist plot to blow up Miami almost echoing the narrative of the game. There’s one sequence in particular that seems tailor-made for a GTA game. The sequence I’m referencing shows Arnold Schwarzenegger pursuing a truck across a long bridge in the Florida Keys, but the truck is carrying a nuke encased in concrete, with Arnie giving chase in a fighter jet.
Since Grand Theft Auto has a long history with car chase sequences, most notably with GTA 4’s ‘The Puerto Rican Connection’, the Florida Keys would be a mighty fine setting for a new one. Having the player steal a jet at the start of this mission would tip the hat nicely to what’s become a staple activity for many players left to their own devices over the years, and having it culminate at an under-construction skyscraper in Miami would certainly place it as one of GTA 6’s biggest setpieces. Whether it's Lucia in the jet, or her partner, the other could be in control of a crane, as the pair fight high above the streets of Vice City.
Who’s the Mann?
In addition True Lies ultimately follows a man living a secret life, protecting it at all costs from his lover. This could be a big theme in GTA 6, with some even predicting that Lucia’s partner is actually an undercover informant. This leads us nicely to Miami Vice (2006), a Michael Mann joint that takes viewers back to the world of the original TV show. GTA 5 clearly took Michael Mann as a main influence for its shootouts and missions, specifically that exquisite bank heist in Heat.
Between all of the nightclub brooding and drug deals gone wrong, there’s one scene in particular that stands out in Miami Vice. Colin Farrell’s Sonny speeds off into the ocean aboard a go-fast boat, with new associate Isabella by his side. After talking about drinks, the pair decide to make a quick hop over to Havana to grab some Mojitos. As the sun starts to set, the sky all filled with moody blues and purples, the wonderfully cheesy music swells. It’s both romantic, gorgeous, and silly in equal measure, and would be perfect for a Grand Theft Auto game.
Shady Acres
The GTA 6 trailer revealed earlier this month definitely had a slightly more mature tone for the series. Well, relatively. There was still plenty of humor peppered throughout, namely in its depiction of Vice City residents which included people twerking on top moving cars, and several run-ins with the local fauna.
Alligators showed up left and right, with one hopeless animal control officer failing to wrangle one out of a pool. With all that animal mischief, wouldn’t it make sense to reference Ace Ventura? We’re hoping that our main star Lucia will get some opportunity to have a bit of fun between robberies and car chases, perhaps in a questline involving escaped animals. From what we’ve already seen, and what we already know, the areas surrounding Vice City would be perfect for this, as they’re likely based on the Florida Keys or the Everglades. That means hovercrafts, baby (which do actually feature in the trailer.)
A modern version of Shady Acres could be a great way to tie into some sort of Ace Ventura throwback as well given its likeness to an already existing location within the film. An eccentric animal control officer, or a pet detective looking for work, would make a perfect side character, as Lucia assists in running alligators out of the gated community, and there would be plenty of opportunities to echo the humor of a GTA game alongside an iconic Jim Carrey movie in doing so.
Happily ever after?
Remember the series that used to be about stealing cars and driving them really fast? You know, the one that has since become a money-making juggernaut involving ridiculous heists and extravagant action sequences? If you’re still not sure, I’m talking about Fast and Furious. Coincidentally, 2 Fast 2 Furious is set in Miami, and is actually pretty quaint by the series’ standards these days. It’s mainly about an undercover cop stealing cars and taking down a drug cartel, with the help of a little nitrous oxide of course. Mostly, I’d like to drive a fast car off of a ramp and smash it into a yacht, thank you very much, Rockstar.
Finally, I’d like to talk about Miami Blues, a movie filled with characters that certainly wouldn’t be out of place in the Grand Theft Auto series, with their larger-than-life personalities and cartoonishly garish outfits. Alec Baldwin plays Junior, a high-functioning sociopath who commits a series of opportunistic crimes with his new fiancé, Susie, in tow. As far as Susie is concerned, she’s in for a happily ever after. Little does she know, Junior is not who he says he is, and is instead a murderer being pursued by the law.
The main scene that I think GTA 6 should reference involves Susie making Junior a vinegar pie. She uses too much vinegar on purpose to see if Junior will lie to her, which he does, barely batting an eyelid as he sings her praises as a cook. This marks a turning point for Susie, as she realizes that Junior has been lying all along. If GTA 6’s protagonists are indeed keeping big secrets from each other, a vinegar pie could be a very fun way to get things unraveling, while referencing a really underrated dark comedy set in Miami.
But as much as we can speculate, we will have to wait and see what movies, books, and music GTA 6 will reference in its story missions, and beyond. For now, here’s everything we know about GTA 6 so far so you can be sure that you're as clued up as you can be before the launch of this epic adventure in 2025.
We've got all the best PS5 games if you're looking for something to tide you over until the launch of GTA 6, or if you're looking across the fence, we've got a guide to all the best Xbox Series X games too.
