Cate Blanchett to star in Eli Roth’s Borderlands movie

Hollywood superstar Cate Blanchett has signed up to star in the movie adaption of Gearbox’s Borderlands game. Ms. Blanchett  will be playing Lilith, a character who appeared in the very first game, with Eli Roth is directing the movie. He has previously worked with the actress in the film “The House With a Clock in Its Walls.”

Earlier this year Full Circle reported that Lilith will be the main protagonist in the movie.

The movie will find Lilith in the Atlas Corporation space prison when the CEO gives her the chance to earn her freedom by rescuing his daughter, the foul-mouthed Tiny Tina, on the planet Pandora. The mission takes an unexpected turn when it becomes clear that the little girl is the key to unlocking a valuable alien vault that Atlas wants all for itself.

Joining her on the adventure is the previously mentioned Claptrap, Tina’s bodyguard Krieg, and a group of vault hunters (it is unclear if they will be established game characters).

The film has been in development for a good few years and was announced way a back in 2015.

“Part of our strategy in entering the game space under Peter Levin has been to source new brands with built-in audiences that will translate into great films and television shows,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger. “The ‘Borderlands’ games don’t pull any punches, and we’ll make the movie with the same in-your-face attitude that has made the series a blockbuster mega-franchise.”

The movie will be produced by Avi Arad, previously responsible for Iron Man, Spider Man, The Amazing Spider Man, X-Men, Blade and, uhm, Ghost Rider. Can’t win them all.

Here’s what Gearbox’s Randy Picthford had to say at the time about the deal.

It’s no secret we did a deal with Lionsgate and Arad Productions to have a Borderlands film made. That’s really an interesting angle. We’ll see what happens there. I’ll tell you, I trust those guys a lot. Ari and Avi Arad are great,aAnd Ari really wants to be the guy to figure out how to make good video game movies.

There are a a lot of guys in video games who feel it’s a big risk to see a film made because so far there haven’t been great examples of great video game films and fortunately, the Arads figured it out when Avi was doing Marvel and did Spider-Man and Iron Man and X-Men; he figured out how to make comic book movies that are really fun and do right by the franchises that are really engaging and entertaining for large audiences. That gives me a lot of hope that working with them we can figure out a good film.”

Borderlands was set to film at the end of the year but it may be delayed due to the current pandemic.

Source: Variety