'Borderlands' Everything We Know So Far

Quick Links

• Does 'Borderlands' Have a Release Date?

• Will 'Borderlands' Be Released in Theaters or on Streaming?

• Is There a Trailer for 'Borderlands'?

• What Is the Plot of 'Borderlands'?

• Who's Starring in 'Borderlands'?

• Who's Making 'Borderlands'?

• When and Where Did 'Borderlands' Film?

Borderlands the first-person looter-shooter RPG video game series highly praised for its Mad Max-style action and its vivid, neon-colored open-world scheme, is getting a movie. The film was first announced to be taken up by Lionsgate and Arad Productions back in 2015.

The popular Gearbox game has sold over 75 million copies, collecting net revenues of over a billion dollars. Fans are excited to see the cult favorite video game franchise adapted for the big screen, and many are curious as to how production will be able to pull off the rare visual style. The hand-drawn textures and luminescent coloring make for out-of-this-world gameplay, and there are few games like it, and from what's been said about the film, the cinematic experience will be unequaled.

Headed by an all-star cast and crew in front of and behind the camera, a prime summer release date, and an exciting trailer, here's everything we know about the Borderlands movie.

Editor's Note: This piece was last updated on June 10, 2024.

Borderlands

A feature film based on the popular video game set on the abandoned fictional planet of Pandora where people search for a mysterious relic.

Does 'Borderlands' Have a Release Date?

Borderlands is finally set to premiere on August 9, 2024. The film will come exactly nine years after it was initially announced to be in development.

Opening opposite the flick is M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller Trap starring Josh Hartnett and the big-screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

Will 'Borderlands' Be Released in Theaters or on Streaming?

Borderlands will initially enjoy an exclusive theatrical release. The movie will eventually be made available to stream on Starz, which is where most Lionsgate movies become available to stream after their exclusive theatrical and PVOD windows conclude.

Is There a Trailer for 'Borderlands'?

The first official trailer for Borderlands was released by Lionsgate on February 21, 2024. The trailer gives off a vibe that is very similar to that of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies from Marvel Studios, complete with the Electric Light Orchestra track "Do Ya" playing and a snarky and sarcastic sense of humor.

An "exclusive look" for Borderlands was released during IGN Live on June 7, 2024, featuring Lilith, Roland, Tiny Tina, Krieg, Tannis, and Claptrap facing off against a gang of intruding psychos.

What Is the Plot of 'Borderlands'?

The official synopsis for the Borderlands movie reads:

Lilith, an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas, the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland, a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina , a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg, Tina’s musclebound protector; Tannis, the oddball scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap, a wiseass robot. Together, these unlikely heroes must battle an alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other. Based on one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time, welcome to BORDERLANDS.

Kevin Hart, who stars in the film as Roland, said in an interview with Collider that the film carries the same distinct visual aesthetic as the game itself, going on to say:

"The fanbase that follows the game is already huge and unreal, but I don't think they even have a clear understanding of how close we're coming to the game. It looks like the game. It's unbelievable, truly unbelievable."

Borderlands is known for its iconic graphic novel style art direction. The colors of the characters and the worlds gamers travel to are bright and vivid, glowing like a neon sign. The visuals of the video game is the first thing that draws players in. Janina Gavankar, who plays Commander Knoxx, told Collider that even she was pleased with how the film was turning out as a fan of the video games.

"The production design and art direction alone are so close to the game. You can't believe they put this much love and attention into the details. I came in with my arms crossed like, 'You better do it right because I'm here to call bullsh*t.' And it's like, they went hard. They really meant it. Even down to our costumes, just getting the colors of everything right. There's a lot of love that went into the production."

Who's Starring in 'Borderlands'?

Two-time Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett is headlining the Borderlands movie as Lilith. While Blanchett is best known for her more dramatic work in movies like Tár, Blue Jasmine, The Aviator, and Carol, she has dipped her toes into starring blockbuster fare as well in movies like Thor: Ragnarok, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Cinderella, Ocean's 8, and The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Blanchett previously worked alongside the film's director, Eli Roth, on the family-friendly fantasy-comedy The House With a Clock in Its Walls.

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart might be best known for his comedic roles in movies such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (and its sequel Jumanji: The Next Level), Ride Along, Night School, and Central Intelligence, but he'll be shedding some of his funnyman persona for the role of Roland. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Eli Roth revealed that Hart was insistent on playing against type for the movie, saying:

"He didn't want to be the goofy sidekick. He did weapons training and fight training and is so hardcore about making people believe that he is really a trained soldier."

Ariana Greenblatt, most known for her roles in Barbie, Love and Monsters, and Avengers: Infinity War, is set to play the preteen demolitionist Tiny Tina. In an interview with IGN, Greenblatt revealed that Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn served as a key inspiration for playing the character, saying:

“I watched how she prepared and she read the comic books and she did so much work to build Harley and watching her helped me build Tina.’

Meanwhile, Florian Munteanu who is most known for his role as Viktor Drago in the Creed sequels as well as Razor Fist in the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is set to play Tina's brooding and wordless protector Krieg.

Jack Black, who is no stranger to video game adaptations, having voiced Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and will star as Steve in the upcoming Minecraft movie, will be voicing the wiseass and sarcastic robot Claptrap. Black previously worked alongside Roth and Blanchett on the aforementioned The House With a Clock in Its Walls; he also starred alongside Hart in the Jumanji movies. However, unlike those films, it doesn't seem like Black will be appearing physically on-screen.

Filling out the headliners is Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis as scientist and archeologist Patricia Tannis. Curtis is coming off her Oscar-winning role as the droll IRS agent Deidre in the Best Picture-winning sci-fi action comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Édgar Ramírez, known for his roles in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and The Undoing will play the film's main antagonist .Atlas, who is described as the universe's most powerful "SOB." In an interview with Collider, Ramírez talked about his reaction to the Borderlands movie, saying:

"Yeah, it's so funny. It's a good movie. It's a very whimsical, very gonzo. That movie is kind of like a hangover. It's like the haze after a hangover because that's kind of the spirit of the game. Eli Roth was very clear in creating this almost Italian ‘70s, science fiction feel to the film, so I'm very excited about it."

The rest of the cast of the Borderlands movie includes Gina Gershon (Thanksgiving) as Mad Moxxi, Bobby Lee (Mad TV) as Larry, Olivier Richters (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as Krom, Janina Gavankar (The Morning Show) as Commander Knoxx, Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) as Jakobs, Charles Babalola (The Outlaws) as Hammerlock, Benjamin Byron Davis (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) as Marcus, Steven Boyer (Trial & Error) as Scooter, Ryann Redmond (A Good Person) as Ellie, and Haley Bennett (The Girl on the Train) in an unknown role somehow connected to Lilith's mysterious past.

Who's Making 'Borderlands'?

There's a powerful team of creators spearheading this project. In the director's chair is horror legend Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), who co-wrote the screenplay with Craig Mazin (The Last of Us), the latter is credited under the pseudonym Joe Crombie. Ari and Avi Arad (Uncharted) are producing the film alongside Erik Feig (Sharper). Executive producers include Tim Miller (Deadpool), Ethan Smith (Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), Louise Rosner (The Hunger Games), Emmy Yu, Lucy Kitada (Luckiest Girl Alive), Christopher Woodrow (Hacksaw Ridge), K. Blaine Johnston (Expend4bles), Randy Pitchford, and Strauss Zelnick.

When and Where Did 'Borderlands' Film?

Borderlands began production in April 2021 in Budapest and wrapped the following June. Roth spoke to Entertainment Weekly about using practical sets for the movie, saying:

"We had some incredibly skilled crafts people there. When you see Tina on top of that pile of old trucks, we actually could build all that stuff. We really wanted to have a ton of practical environments. It was a wild experience, actually building it and being on Pandora."

However, in January 2023, the film underwent two weeks' worth of reshoots with Tim Miller taking over for Eli Roth, with the latter already committed to filming the holiday slasher film Thanksgiving.

In an interview with Collider, Miller talked about his experience filming the reshoots for Borderlands, saying:

It was an interesting experience to come in and do reshoots on a movie that's not yours. It’s a freeing experience where you feel like, “I'm just here to help wherever I can.” But my main reason, other than, you know, I have a huge affection for the video game industry, I want to see every video game adaption succeed is, I'll be honest, I wanted to work with Cate Blanchett, and I wanted to work with Kevin [Hart] and Jamie Lee Curtis. And Ariana Greenblatt, the young lady who plays Tiny Tina, is amazing, which everybody knows from the Barbie movie. So it was a great experience all around. I was feeling a little rusty, so I was happy to get back in the saddle. The movie gets up and moves. It's a good ride.

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