Borderlands (film)

Borderlands is an upcoming American science fiction action comedy film directed by Eli Roth, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Crombie, based on the video game series of the same name developed by Gearbox Software. Produced by Media Capital Technologies, Arad Productions, Picturestart, Gearbox Studios and 2K, and distributed by Lionsgate, it stars an ensemble cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, Bobby Lee, Florian Munteanu, Gina Gershon, and Jamie Lee Curtis, and follows Lillith (played by Blanchett), an infamous outlaw who returns to the place where she grew up, the chaotic planet Pandora, and forms an unexpected alliance with a team of misfits to find the missing daughter of the most powerful man in the universe.

A film adaptation of the video game series was announced in August 2015, with Lionsgate developing the project with Ari and Avi Arad of Arad Productions producing, and Leigh Whannell was in talks to direct it. By February 2020, Roth was attached to direct the film from a screenplay written by Craig Mazin, with Feig joining as producer through his production company Picturestart. Casting occurred from May 2020 to March 2021, with Blanchett joining the cast, while Hart, Black, and Curtis were added in the following year. Principal photography began in April 2021 in Budapest, Hungary, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and wrapped in June that same year. However, some reshoots were made in two weeks, without Roth's involvement due to his commitments to Thanksgiving, and were directed by Tim Miller.

Borderlands is set to be released in the United States on August 9, 2024, by Lionsgate.

Premise
"Lilith, an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe's most powerful S.O.B., Atlas. Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team – Roland, a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg, Tina's musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis, the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap, a persistently wiseass robot. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands but they'll be fighting for something more: each other."

Cast

 * Cate Blanchett as Lilith
 * Kevin Hart as Roland
 * Jack Black as the voice of Claptrap
 * Edgar Ramírez as Atlas
 * Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina
 * Florian Munteanu as Krieg
 * Gina Gershon as Mad Moxxi
 * Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Patricia Tannis
 * Haley Bennett
 * Bobby Lee as Larry
 * Olivier Richters as Krom
 * Janina Gavankar as Commander Knoxx
 * Cheyenne Jackson as Jakobs
 * Charles Babalola as Hammerlock
 * Benjamin Byron Davis as Marcus
 * Steven Boyer as Scooter
 * Ryann Redmond as Ellie
 * Harry Ford as Middleman

Additionally, Penn Jillette has a cameo in the film as a preacher overseeing a wedding, after voicing Pain in the video game Borderlands 3 (2019).

Development
In May 2015, Leigh Whannell was in talks with Lionsgate Films to write and direct an adaptation of the video game series Borderlands. The film was officially announced in August 2015, with Ari and Avi Arad of Arad Productions producing; however Whannell's involvement was left omitted. Aaron Berg was tapped to pen an R-rated take on the material in April 2016. By June 2018, Oren Uziel assumed scripting duties from Berg.

In February 2020, Eli Roth was attached to direct the film from a screenplay written by Craig Mazin, with Erik Feig joining as producer through his production company Picturestart.

Casting
Cate Blanchett was cast as Lilith in May 2020. Speaking of her decision to join the project, Blanchett said: "The gun-slinging stuff was so much fun. I got really absorbed in that whole world. I think there also may have been a little Covid madness."

Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black were confirmed to have joined the cast in January and February 2021. The following month, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, and Haley Bennett were cast. Édgar Ramírez, Olivier Richters, and Janina Gavankar joined the ensemble in April, alongside Gina Gershon, Cheyenne Jackson, Charles Babalola, Benjamin Byron Davis, Steven Boyer, Ryann Redmond, and Bobby Lee. By that month, Mazin's script had been rewritten by Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier; and again by Roth. Penn Jillette announced in May that he would have a small role as a preacher in the film.

Filming
Filming officially began on April 1, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film wrapped on June 22. On June 4, 2021, first look images of the cast were released, with black and white images obscuring all but the cast's silhouettes.

Reshoots
In January 2023, it was announced the film would be going through two weeks of reshoots directed by Tim Miller, due to Roth's commitments to Thanksgiving (2023). While Roth would not be involved with the reshoots, he remained attached to the film and gave Miller his blessing. Zak Olkewicz scribed new pages for Miller. In June 2023, Mazin removed his name from the project, replaced by Joe Crombie; Mazin denied reports that Crombie was his pseudonym. Additional literary material credits were given to Berg, Uziel, Taylor, Rettenmaier, Olkewicz, Chris Bremner, and Sam Levinson.

Music
In June 2021, Nathan Barr was announced to score the film, having collaborated with Roth in some of his previous works. However, in October 2023, it was announced that Steve Jablonsky would be taking over scoring duties for Barr.

Release
Borderlands is set to be released theatrically in the United States by Lionsgate Films on August 9, 2024.

Marketing
During Lionsgate's panel at the 2022 CinemaCon, approximately one-minute of exclusive footage was shown.