Aside from being a film enthusiast, video games were my first form of escaping reality into the world of fantasy. I’ve had so much playing some great video game series and among them lies the out-of-this-world, sci-fi action series Borderlands. Consisting of 7 games including The Borderlands Trilogy, 2 Tales from the Borderlands games, and the spin-off Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the series is loved among fans. And now the insanity of Pandora will be coming to the big screen later this year with a new film adaptation starring Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Jack Black as Claptrap, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tanis.
Looking at the Official Trailer, Gearbox looks to have had a good deal of creative input when it comes to the look of the film from a visual perspective, with Eli Roth confirming this at the Megaton Panel I attended. This can be seen through game-accurate character designs, weaponry, vehicles, locations, etc. Even Eli Roth at that same panel noted how he is excited for us to enter the world of Pandora, even saying that “it looks like you’re in the game.” The movie is also separating itself from the series as it is not canon to the video game’s timeline, telling an original story involving the ragtag team searching for a hidden vault and taking on the head of the Atlas Corporation who we are meeting for the first time. However this adaptation has been getting some mixed reviews due to the lineup of stars, and it is fair to see why they have these trepidations about specific casting choices.
First and foremost, Roland. In the games, Roland is a 5’11 serious, sometimes humorous, soldier and former fighter of the Crimson Lanes. In the film, however, he is played by 5’2 comedian Kevin Hart. Now while Hart is no stranger to exploring uncharted regions nor being a part of action films, he has always been the comic relief of those films so the idea of him playing a role like Roland in some eyes is a bit of miscasting because he hasn’t played many serious roles in his career. Two other members of the Borderlands cast are Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis as Lilith and Dr. Tanis due to being older than the characters in the game. Lilith in the original Borderlands game is 22 years old whereas Blanchett is 54. Tanis is also believed to be around the same age as Lilith in the games while Jamie Lee Curtis’s portrayal of the character is 65.
However, it should be remembered that it is important to focus on the actors’ talents rather than their usual role types and age. Yes Kevin Hart may be more of a comedic actor, but that doesn’t mean he can’t bring a sense of seriousness to the role of Roland, he even took on his first serious role in the movie Lift where in an interview with Forbes he talked about wanting to take on more serious roles. And though Blanchett and Curtiss’ characters may be older than their video game counterparts, their years of having such successful careers means they have played characters with similar attitudes to Lilith and Dr. Tanis. For example, I wouldn’t be surprised if we got a hint of Hela from Thor: Ragnarok from Blanchett. Plus there have been times when people have had worries about specific castings over the years. Take a look at Robert Pattinson when he was cast as Batman in The Batman, people were hesitant of him taking on the role but after the movie premiered, he is considered to be one of the best to wear the cowl.
In the eyes of this auburn-haired gamer, the Borderlands movie looks to be a whole lot of fun that will hopefully do justice to the game it’s based on. I am excited to see these actors take on their respected roles, Jack Black and Ariana Greenblatt being 2 standouts from the trailer who I thought were perfect casting. I am also excited to see the world of Pandora to be brought to the big screen and see the utter insanity unfold with the comedy, action, cast chemistry, and adventure over the sands of Pandora. Borderlands is coming soon to theaters, with Roth noting an August 9th, 2024 release date unless this has changed.
What are your thoughts on the Borderlands Trailer? Are you excited for the world of Pandora to hit the big screen? What are your thoughts on the cast? Drop your thoughts below!