When a Borderlands movie adaptation was first announced, initial reception was a mix of geeky excitement and apprehension.
Excitement, because of the liveliness of Gearbox’s sandbox shooter-and-looter video game series, set on a distant planet where ‘vault hunters’ run and gun through deformed monsters and laugh through endlessly entertaining quips from its NPCs. Apprehension, because of the difficulty of bringing such a freewheeling, open world video game experience to the big screen.
Things are shaping up nicely for the Borderlands movie, though, with a notable director in Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever) – who’s best known as a horror aficionado and Tarantino-favorite actor (you’ll spot him in both Inglourious Basterds and Death Proof, after all). He also directed the successful The House with a Clock in its Walls.
The casting is surprisingly prestigious, too, with Cate Blanchett (Carol, Blue Jasmine, The Lord of the Rings) set to star alongside Jamie Lee Curtis (Knives Out, Halloween, True Lies) and the ever-hilarious Jack Black.
Throw in acclaimed Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin, and could the Borderlands movie actually make something of the irreverent video game franchise that’s worth watching? For that, we’ll have to wait for its release – but for now, we’ve brought together all the news, tidbits, and predictions worth poring over regarding the anticipated movie project.
Borderlands movie release date: when will it land?
There’s been no official release date for the Borderlands movie just yet, but its cast has been confirmed and shooting got underway around May 2021.
We know that to be the case thanks to several behind-the-scenes set images posted to the Twitter account of 13-year-old Ariana Greenblatt, who is set to play Tiny Tina in the film.
Still, given ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and limits to filming locations, we don’t really expect to see the Borderlands movie release before 2023.
I don’t know anyone who puts in more hours and work into a day and is absolutely KILLING it as Roland! Dream come true for this girl. ALL HART AND I LOVE HIM FOR IT! #Borderlandsmovie #KevinHart @KevinHart4real @BorderlandsFilm @picturestart @Lionsgate #TinyTina #Roland 🐰💥💪 pic.twitter.com/T9CCKM6562May 25, 2021
Borderlands movie casting: who will be in it?
The main reason the Borderlands movie is currently getting a lot of buzz is because of the A-list actors attached to the project.
Cate Blanchett has been confirmed to play fan-favorite character Lilith, the Siren vault hunter from the first Borderlands game. Blanchett previously worked with director Eli Roth on the PG fantasy movie The House With a Clock in Its Walls. As an Oscar-winner who boasts a prestigious filmography spanning Notes on a Scandal and Carol, her involvement suggests this won’t be a bargain-bin movie adaptation.
We got a first look at Blanchett as Lilith (albeit in silhouette form) thanks to an image shared by fellow actor Jamie Lee Curtis, who will also be joining the movie’s cast as archeologist Dr Patricia Tannis. Along with the teaser image, Curtis described Blanchett’s character as the “legendary heroine, psycho blasting, vault hunting vixen with a bad attitude.”
Welcome to BORDERLANDS & a secret BTS shot I took of Lilith, our legendary heroine, psycho blasting, vault hunting vixen with a bad attitude.#cateblanchett From the brilliant minds of @borderlandsfilm @therealeliroth@gearbox @picturestart @Lionsgate Arad Productions pic.twitter.com/R193HTGBZjJune 1, 2021
Comedian and actor Kevin Hart will be playing Soldier Roland, too, and the resulting mix of horror, comedy and prestige drama actors attached to the movie – not least Jack Black as the robot mascot Claptrap – is eclectic, which could be exactly what the Borderlands movie needs to stay true to its chaotic source material.
Casting has also been confirmed for the likes of Moxxi, Sir Hammerlock and Marcus – so we’re anticipating faithful adaptations of the game’s most iconic characters. Check out the full list below:
- Cate Blanchett – Lilith
- Jamie Lee Curtis – Tannis
- Edgar Ramirez – Atlas
- Jack Black – Claptrap
- Kevin Hart – Roland
- Ariana Greenblatt – Tiny Tina
- Florian Munteanu – Kreig
- Janina Gavankar – Commander Knoxx
- Olivier Richters – Krom
- Haley Bennett – Unannounced new character
- Gina Gershon – Moxxi
- Cheyenne Jackson – Jakobs
- Charles Babalola – Hammerlock
- Benjamin Byron Davis – Marcus
- Steven Boyer – Scooter
- Ryann Redmond – Ellie
- Bobby Lee – Larry
Borderlands movie writer and director: who’s behind the film?
The core creative team behind the Borderlands flick consists of Craig Mazin, the award-winning screenwriter behind HBO’s Chernobyl and the upcoming The Last of Us TV show, and Eli Roth – the horror director behind 2005’s Hostel, who famously appeared in Quentin Tarintino’s Inglourious Basterds as the muscular Donny Donowitz.
Mazin is getting a lot of buzz in Hollywood these days, and his attachment gives the film some real credibility – in case you were worried it would just be laden with Claptrap’s trademark quips. Roth seems like a smart choice for the cartoonish violence of the Borderlands series, too.
Borderlands movie story: which games will it draw from?
We’re light on specific details at this point, but the casting so far suggests we’re getting some kind of retelling of the first Borderlands game – which was published by 2K Games on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC back in 2009 – rather than Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3, or the Pre-Sequel game.
You can expect to see the planet Pandora, and at least some of the game’s key vault hunters (Roland, Lilith, etc) trying to beat the well-funded Atlas Corporation to a legendary treasure vault filled with alien technology, that only opens once every 200 years (think Aladdin, but with guns).
How will the Borderlands movie keep the games’ spirit?
At PAX East last year, director Eli Roth did state a plan to cast Borderlands cosplayers as extras – and then kill them off with “awful deaths” – which may suggest the movie’s vision will cleave closer to the games than expected. He also explained that he’ll put a “little spice of Hostel in there”, suggesting a light leaning towards horror.
We’re curious to see if the Borderlands movie will try and retain the games’ art style, which is cel-shaded, and therefore complicated to retain on the big screen. Like so many things about this project, though, how Roth and company will tackle that is unknown for now.
Watch this space for more details on Borderlands.