‘Borderlands’: Exclusive Behind the Scenes with Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett & More

Published: 7:03 AM PDT, July 11, 2024

Who’s ready to dive into the world of Borderlands?

An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming film adaptation of one of the best-selling video games reveals intriguing insights from the cast members. Featuring Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, Jack Black, and more, the film promises to bring the chaos and excitement of Borderlands to life.

Borderlands follows bounty hunter Lilith (Blanchett), who reluctantly returns to her chaotic home planet, Pandora, on a mission to find the missing daughter of the powerful and dangerous Atlas (Edgar Ramírez). Along the way, she assembles a ragtag team that includes mercenary Roland (Kevin Hart), oddball scientist Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), wisecracking robot Claptrap (Jack Black), feral young demolitionist Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), and her protector, Krieg (Florian Munteanu).

In a new featurette, Blanchett, 55, shares that the team evolves into a “strange, dysfunctional family” as they navigate their mission. This family dynamic is vividly illustrated when Roland sternly tells Tiny Tina, “What did I tell you?” to which she reluctantly responds, “Minimal explosions.” Roland quickly retorts, “I said no explosions.”

Kevin Hart mentions that stepping into the Borderlands universe required a thorough “education” on the game. Director Eli Roth also shared this sentiment, expressing his gratitude for working with the creators who guided him through the extensive lore of Borderlands.

“Directing Borderlands, I was fortunate to have the creators walk me through years of Borderlands lore,” Roth says.

The teaser packs an adrenaline punch, showcasing car chases, teleportation, hand-to-hand combat, and even spaceships plummeting from the sky, all within 90 seconds. A standout moment features the gang driving through the throat of a massive monster.

For the actors, joining this project was an easy decision, given the game’s massive fanbase. The game franchise, which has sold over 100 million copies, has spawned two sequels.

“I’m psyched to be portraying Claptrap, the legendary robot,” says Black, 54, while a clip shows his character eliminating two soldiers and exclaiming, “Step aside, b**ches.”

Jamie Lee Curtis, fresh off her 2023 Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once and a potential Emmy nomination for her guest role in The Bear season 2, finds Borderlands to be exactly what she seeks in a project.

“It has pathos, humor, and a lot of action,” the actress shares.

Roth adds, “I want people to leave thinking, ‘That is the best time I’ve had in a movie theater in years.’

The film also features Gina Gershon, Cheyenne Jackson, Haley Bennett, Janina Gavankar, Bobby Lee, Olivier Richters, Charles Babalola, Benjamin Byron Davis, Steven Boyer, Ryann Redmond, and Penn Jillette.

The highly anticipated Borderlands movie releases in theaters on Aug. 9.

Source: ET Online