Another video game adaption takes center stage this year with a photo from the set of Eli Roth’s Borderlands movie. Gearbox’s looter shooter adaptation has been filming in Budapest this year, with the film taking parts of the story from the first title. Many of the main cast involved are well-known actors. Jamie Lee Curtis, one of the actresses on the Borderlands movie set, posted a look at Cate Blanchett’s Lilith costume. With Portal also coming down the pipeline, this is the first AAA shooter adaptation fans have gotten a look at.
Curtis stated that she took the picture while on set, showing a silhouette of Blanchett in costume. While not an up-close look at how the costume is designed, the silhouette looks like the character, even including the iconic hair that swishes to the side.
The caption that follows the picture shows excitement for the project: “Welcome to BORDERLANDS & a secret BTS shot I took of Lilith, our legendary heroine, psycho blasting, vault hunting vixen with a bad attitude.”
Blanchett is a well-known actress. Most fans might recognize her for her roles in films like Lord of the Rings as Galadriel, Thor: Ragnarok as the film’s antagonist Hela, and the antagonist from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Irina Spalko. Blanchett also starred in Roth’s film, The House with a Clock in Its Walls.
Other cast members of the film have also worked with Roth before, such as Jack Black, who will portray Claptrap. He also starred in The House with a Clock in Its Walls.
Other notable actors making it into the film to play the series’ characters are Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Patricia Tannis, Kevin Hart as Roland, Steven Boyer as Scooter, and Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina.
The reaction to Blanchett’s Lilith on Twitter has sparked hype for the film, as well as caution for its upcoming release as well. Fans hold the same worries about Hollywood adaptions of their favorite properties, as films like Uncharted starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg were met with disdain from fans after pictures were released. While many comments hold support for Blanchett’s costume design, albeit only a silhouette is visible. Many are quick to assume that the film will be a flop based on past attempts at bringing their favorite series to the silver screen, especially with Roth at the film’s helm.
While Roth produced many well-known horror films, such as The Last Exorcism, Hostel, and its sequel, Roth has only directed Hostel 2 and The House with a Clock in Its Walls. However, Roth knows how to pick a cast for his projects. Working with Blanchett and Black previously means that Roth is familiar with how they act, putting himself at an advantage for the performances in the Borderlands movie.
Roth may have a massive undertaking coming his way, but one thing is for certain. He isn’t in an unfamiliar position, working with actors from previous films and having more than one film under his director’s chair.
The fans have every right to be worried, with the mistreatment of their favorite properties from Hollywood not capturing what made the games they adapt so great.
The film still hasn’t had a trailer, nor a release date published on the internet, meaning that no information is known about the film until Lionsgate, the distributor, decides to make the information public. This means that all fans have to go on for the progress of the Borderlands film is the single picture of Blanchett’s silhouette. With filming starting this year, fans may receive a movie trailer sometime within the next couple of months. The film could be slated for a 2022 release if filming and post-production finish without any issues.