Movie adaptations of video games are becoming more and more popular these days. However, few have really proven themselves to be worthy of viewers' time. Soon another series will throw itself into the film space as a movie version of Borderlands makes its way to theaters in the near future.
As of now there is no concrete release date, but there is plenty of other interesting information regarding the upcoming film. While the final verdict won't be known until it hits theaters, most of these facts have us more excited than skeptical for the adaptation of the co-op looter shooter. At least there is plenty of Borderlands content to explore while waiting for the movie.
9 Filming Has Wrapped
Anytime a movie adaptation of a video game is announced, it is met with tons of groans and skepticism about it ever actually becoming a reality. Consumers cannot be blamed either; plenty of games have had movies announced that end up going nowhere. However, fans can be rest assured that the movie is indeed a reality, because filming has officially wrapped as of June, 2021. Save for some extreme circumstance during post-production, this movie is 100% happening.
8 Eli Roth Is Directing
Eli Roth is helming this project. Horror movie fans have known this name since the early 2000s with cult-classics like Cabin Fever. 2005's Hostel was a huge hit and made his name more familiar to moviegoers in general. He also had a major role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. Despite the director's penchant for horror, Borderlands will not be his first action movie. He also directed the 2018 remake of Death Wish, starring Bruce Willis. While most of the director's work has been extremely violent, there is no confirmation that Borderlands will be rated-R.
7 It Was Filmed In Hungary
Filming took place in Hungary, specifically in Budapest. When one thinks of Hungary, it generally does not conjure up images resembling anything like Pandora.
However, there are geographic areas with sand dunes. It is not too strange to see a film production choose Hungary. The country has experienced film crews and offers a generous tax incentive, making it a rather popular destination for movie shoots.
6 It Has A Star-Studded Cast
There is some serious star power behind this movie playing the franchise's iconic characters. Jack Black is voicing Claptrap, Cate Blanchett is playing Lilith the Siren, Kevin Hart is playing Roland, and Jamie Lee Curtis is playing Dr. Tannis. There are also numerous other notable names filling out the cast list. Will these names help draw people to the film who otherwise would ignore the typical film adaptation of a video game? We'll only know once the movie comes out.
5 It Is Written By Craig Mazin And Aaron Berg
The screenplay credits are currently attributed to Craig Mazin and Aaron Berg. The former has an interesting variety of writing credits to his name, including the Chernobyl miniseries and Hangover II. He even directed the 2008 comedy Superhero Movie. The latter appears to be much newer in the industry. In fact, Borderlands is Aaron Berg's first writing credit.
4 Penn Jillette Has A Cameo
People know Gearbox's founder and CEO Randy Pitchford to be an amateur magician. It was wholly appropriate for the duo Penn and Teller to have a cameo in Borderlands 3, then. Continuing this trend, Penn Jillette is set to have a cameo in the upcoming film as a priest. It is only a cameo, so don't expect major screen time. Before Borderlands 3, Penn and Teller were famous in the video game world for the unreleased game, Penn and Teller's Smoke and Mirrors, which features the infamous Desert Bus.
3 It Was Announced In 2015
Getting a film off the ground is no easy feat. Even though filming can only take a couple of months, sometimes years of planning goes into making the project a reality.
In Borderlands' case, word of a film adaptation first showed up in 2015. This was already three years after the release of Borderlands 2, and four years before Borderlands 3. The series was still keeping itself busy during this time, however, with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Tales From The Borderlands coming out in the prior year.
2 We Still Don't Know How The Cast Looks
Despite all the information out there regarding the film, the public still does not know how the cast actually looks in their uniforms. The closest we have now is a picture of claptrap. There is also a photo of the main cast in silhouette which gives us some idea, but fans want to know how their favorite characters look like in real life. It will be particularly interesting to see Kevin Hart as Roland, considering the size difference. To the actor's credit, he has stated his dedication to the role and is in great shape.
1 Claptrap's Voice Actor Is Disappointed He Is Not In The Movie
Upon learning about Jack Black's casting as Claptrap for the upcoming movie, the current actor for Claptrap in the games, Jim Foronda, voiced his disappointment at not being tapped for the role. He has no ill will towards Jack Black, but was hoping to do the job himself. It should be noted that Jim Foronda only has been playing the character since Borderlands 3, though he has been voicing characters in the franchise since the debut entry.