We’ve Finally Gotten a First Look at Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands’ Movie

Borderlands, the popular first-person looter shooter video game series, is being adapted into a feature film directed by horror auteur Eli Roth (Hostel). The film features a ridiculously stacked cast that includes Oscar winners, comedians, and athletes. So, what do we know about this future Gonzo classic?

There’s finally a trailer!

At long last, Lionsgate has released a first trailer for Eli Roth’s take on Borderlands. The trailer focuses on the team dynamics between Cate Blanchett’s Lilith and the all-star team of misfits she cobbles together to save a kidnapped girl (played by Barbie‘s Ariana Greenblatt), and captures a comedic, off-the-wall tone that seems appropriate for this game series. Even if you know nothing about the Borderlands games, this film seems like it’ll be a fun romp, and the high-caliber cast points to a potential for poignant moments amid all the explosions.

Think Tank Girl or Peacock’s take on Twisted Metal, and this feels like it has a similar vibe.

People also released some first-look photos, adding to the Borderlands hype. Whatever you think of video game adaptations, this one seems like—dare I say it?—it could be good.

Here’s what we know about the film so far

The film has an incredible cast, including Cate Blanchett (Lilith), Jamie Lee Curtis (Dr. Patricia Tannis), Édgar Ramírez (Atlas), Kevin Hart (Roland), Ariana Greenblatt (Tiny Tina), Olivier Richters (Krom), Janina Gavankar (Commander Knoxx), Gina Gershon (Mad Moxxi), Cheyenne Jackson (Jakobs), Florian Munteanu (Krieg), Charles Babalola (Hammerlock), Benjamin Byron Davis (Marcus), Steven Boyer (Scooter), Ryann Redmond (Ellie), and Bobby Lee (Larry).

Blanchett plays Lilith, a treasure hunter with a mysterious past who returns to her home planet of Pandora to help “the universe’s most powerful S.O.B.” Atlas (played by Ramirez) find his missing daughter, who might be the key to unimaginable power. There’s a rag-tag group of misfits, alien monsters, space bandits … oh, and a wiseass robot named Claptrap, voiced by Jack Black. What more could you want?

What even is Borderlands?

If you’re not one of the 77 million people who’ve bought and played a game in the franchise, Borderlands is a series of open-world first-person looter shooter games that allow you to choose one of several available Vault Hunter characters who’ve attempted to find a fabled Vault on the planet Pandora. The games include Borderlands (2009), Borderlands 2 (2012), Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014), and Borderlands 3 (2019). Each game has multiple DLC packs, and Tales from the Borderlands is a spin-off episodic graphic adventure game that launched in 2014.

In the game, you go on quests around Pandora, level up, and collect lots and lots of guns.

There’s more to it than guns, of course. It’s a rich world with lots of content, which is likely why Roth and co-writer Joe Crombie (which, contrary to rumor, is not a pseudonym for The Last of Us showrunner, Craig Mazin) were able to write a feature adaptation set in this world.

It’s gonna be a long year …

As reported by Deadline Hollywood, Lionsgate will be releasing Borderlands on August 9, 2024. A year and a week from now. For fans of this bananas franchise, it will be a long wait!

Are you excited about Borderlands?

(featured image: Lionsgate)