Tomb Raider, Rampage, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, and Sonic the Hedgehog are just a few recent Hollywood films that have revealed a willingness on Tinseltown's part to not only make big-budget video game movies but treat them with the same care as they do their other tentpoles. Now, signs are pointing to at least one more success, as yet another member of the team behind Lionsgate's Borderlands film has shared a positive impression of the project.
Lionsgate's Borderlands is loosely based on the eponymous video game franchise and will tell an original story taking place on the planet Pandora while utilizing characters from the original games. The film will follow Lilith (played by Cate Blanchett) as she returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the daughter of an arms manufacturer named Atlas. Once there, she teams up with disgraced mercenary Roland (Kevin Hart), child demolitionist Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), muscular bodyguard Krieg (Creed II's Florian Munteanu), mad scientist Dr. Patricia Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), and snarky robot Claptrap (Jack Black) to survive onslaughts of alien species and deranged marauders in an effort to find the missing girl.
Édgar Ramírez, who plays Atlas in Borderlands and can also be seen in the recently-released Jungle Cruise, spoke to CinemaBlend to discuss why he believes fans will love the upcoming feature film adaptation. Ramirez specifically praised the storytelling and tone of the original video game franchise, describing it as, "dark," "witty" and "whimsical." Regarding the irreverent attitude of the source material, Ramirez said, "I'm very excited for fans of the game to see [the film] and see how respectful we were to the tone of the game."
The Borderlands film has A House with a Clock In Its Walls helmer Eli Roth as its director and writer, with The Hangover Part III screenwriter Craig Mazin co-writing and Marvel Studios founder Avi Arad serving as a producer. In addition to the aforementioned cast members, the film rounds out its ensemble with many character actors as well as The Magnificent Seven actress Haley Bennett, who stars in an unannounced role.
The faithfulness to the source material hinted at by Édgar Ramírez bodes well for the quality of Lionsgate's Borderlands film. The inspired selection of cast members and Eli Roth at the helm are all elements that suggest a potential classic blockbuster film.
However, a brazen willingness to capture the zaniness of the original Boderlands games is perhaps the foundation Lionsgate must build upon if there is any hope of the film's success. Thankfully, fans have fewer reasons not to be optimistic based on what we know.
Borderlands will release in theaters in 2022.
Source: CinemaBlend