Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton cast in GTA BBC TV drama

Daniel Radcliffe has been cast in the upcoming BBC TV drama that chronicles the story of the rise of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

The Harry Potter star will play the role of Sam Houser, one of the founders of the controversial Rockstar Games studio who, along with his brother, Dan Houser, propelled the studio and the Grand Theft Auto franchise to incredible heights.

Radcliffe will join the show alongside Hollywood star Bill Paxton, who will be playing the role of Jack Thompson, an American lawyer who spent years trying to get the franchise banned from retailers due to it’s depiction of violence.

The 90-minute drama, which currently has a working title of “Game Changer”, will “tell the story of an extraordinary chapter in the history of this iconic game, and reveals the major impact it has had on our cultural landscape”.

A BBC production, it is written by James Wood and directed by Owen Harris. It’s produced by Jim Spencer and executive produced by Mark Hedgecoe.

The drama will air on BBC Two as part of the broadcaster’s season of coding-based programmes and activities.

No official premiere date has been announced.

Rockstar latest instalment in the GTA series, GTA V, became the biggest entertainment launch in history upon its launch in September 2013.

The title broke $800 million in sales within 24 hours of going on sale and then 2 days later broke $1 billion in sales, beating Hollywood blockbuster films such as Avatar, The Hobbit, Django Unchained, and Skyfall.

It also outsold its predecessor, GTA IV, beat The Last of Us as the biggest release on PlayStation and broke seven Guinness World Records. It has currently shipped over 33 million copies and has won numerous Game of the Year awards.

But the success has also brought along controversy, something the GTA series is no stranger too, facing criticism for its depiction of women and torture.

It’s also been the recipient of several lawsuits, one from rapper Daz Dillinger, one from a Mobster’s daughter, and another from Lindsay Lohan.

The game recently launched on next-gen consoles and a PC edition also launched last week.