The highly anticipated live-action Borderlands movie dropped its first teaser trailer, offering a sneak peek into the action-packed world of director Eli Roth’s adaptation of the popular Ur-looter shooter video game series. While the “video-game-movie” curse has arguably been broken, we’re eager to see if the streak can be maintained – the trailer definitely seems promising if you ask us.
Starring an ensemble cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black among others, the teaser introduces viewers to the iconic main characters hailing from the games, and providing a glimpse into the director’s chosen tone. After a near-decade’s length of being in development hell, the Borderlands film is finally arriving.
However, it seems the response on social media is rather lukewarm. Roth seems to draw inspiration from the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, evident in the heavy use of an Electric Light Orchestra song, the dialogue between the ensemble of adventurers, and blending action and humor, echoing the style of James Gunn.
Ever wonder what it’s like to have your face melted off? #BorderlandsMovie #ChaosLovesCompany pic.twitter.com/MwZLnpN3ec
— Borderlands (@BorderlandsFilm) February 21, 2024
Cate Blanchett takes on the role of the short-tempered Lilith, embarking on a quest for a mysterious vault filled with coveted loot. Veteran actress Jamie Lee Curtis plays the character of Dr. Tannis, a scientist featured in all three mainline Borderlands games, while Kevin Hart steps into the shoes of the mercenary Roland, a playable soldier in the game series.
Jack Black, known for his recent role as Bowser in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, lends his voice to the franchise’s mascot, the robot Claptrap, and providing comic relief. The cast is further enriched with newcomer Ariana Greenblatt as the demolitionist Tiny Tina and Florian Munteanu as her enforcer Krieg, who have also been playable characters at various points in the franchise.
Cate Blanchett plays Lilith, heading up a ragtag group of mercenaries. There is a definite ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ vibe with the dialogue and character interaction in the first Borderlands trailer.The trailer posted on the official Borderlands X (formerly Twitter) account has just a little over 1 million views and 6K likes. Likewise, the YouTube version under Lionsgate currently only counts 1.5 million views after 24 hours. When you compare this to the record-breaking Deadpool & Wolverine trailer from the previous week, those numbers show a big disparity.
The reaction of Borderlands fans on social media is generally positive. However, some fans pointed out the disparity between the ages of the Borderlands characters compared to the actors playing them in the movie.
Based on the wildly popular first-person shooter series developed by Gearbox Software, the ‘Borderlands‘ movie follows Lilith’s return to her home planet of Pandora, hired by weapons manufacturer Atlas (Édgar Ramírez) to locate his missing daughter.
Lilith assembles a diverse crew of outcasts, portrayed by Black, Hart, Curtis, Greenblatt, and Munteanu, to explore the perilous planet and unravel the mysteries it holds. Elements of the games’ story is present, but this isn’t a direct adaptation.
The extensive ensemble cast also includes Haley Bennett, Gina Gershon, Cheyenne Jackson, Steven Boyer, Charles Babalola, Olivier Richters, Janina Gavankar, Benjamin Byron Davis, Ryann Redmond, and Bobby Lee. Penn Jillette, known for his role in Borderlands 3 and as one half of the magician duo Penn and Teller, will make a cameo appearance in the film.
The journey to bring Borderlands to the big screen began in 2015, with Lionsgate at the helm of development and Arad Productions producing. Director Eli Roth became attached to the project in 2020, and the film was shot in Hungary from April to June 2021. Ari Arad, Avi Arad, and Erik Feig are among the producers steering the project to fruition.
Originating in 2009 from the creative minds at 2K Games, the Borderlands franchise has expanded over the years with sequels, prequels, and spinoffs. Renowned for its action-packed gameplay, distinctive visual style, sense of humor and insane quantity of guns, the dystopian FPS franchise boasts over 60 million copies sold and has generated over $1 billion in revenue for developer Gearbox.
While Roth’s reputation primarily rests on horror films, the trailer’s faithfulness to the ‘Borderlands‘ aesthetic, characterized by vibrant colors reminiscent of the cel-shaded games, has fans hopeful for a successful transition from console to cinema.
Given the success of recent video game-inspired movies like Sonic and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, will ‘Borderlands‘ make a smooth leap from the gaming realm to a blockbuster adventure on the big screen?
The Borderlands film gears up for a theatrical release on August 9, 2024.
