When it was first announced that Eli Roth was going to direct an adaptation of the video game Borderlands for the screen, a lot of fans got very excited. When the cast of Borderlands came together and included names like Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis, fans began to get even more excited. Those fans have been waiting literally years for a first look at just what the game brought to life would look like, and now, we finally know.
The first trailer for the very long-awaited Borderlands movie is finally here, and honestly, it's looking like a lot of fun. The trailer shows off the world of Pandora (not to be confused with the Avatar planet of the same name) which very much looks like the video game brought to life. It also brings together an eclectic team on a quest, that is giving me serious Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, and I don't hate it. Check out the new trailer above.
A ragtag group of misfits that probably won't get along at first? Check. Strange and colorful alien worlds? Check? A solid sense of humor? Check. All of it set against a pop soundtrack? Check. Time will tell if the trailer soundtrack is a taste of what will come in the final movie, or just a cool piece of music to set the action against, but either way, it works.
While the characters are certainly different, Borderlands certainly has a lot in common with Marvel's sci-fi action comedy. But it worked for Guardians, and there's every reason to believe it can work here. There are certainly worse places to take a little inspiration.
The trailer confirms that the Borderlands movie will basically follow the same setup as the original game. A group of Vault hunters, looking for a legendary treasure, set off across a less than hospitable world in search of fortune and glory. Along the way, they will shoot a lot of people. Like...a lot of people.
Kevin Hart plays Roland the Soldier and Cate Blanchett plays Lilith the Siren, two of the playable characters from the game. Several other recognizable characters are seen in the trailer. Most notably, Claptrap, the smart-mouth robot who will be voiced by Jack Black.
Borderlands as a video game is what has come to be known as a "looter shooter." A first-person shooter-style game where finding new gear and weapons is core to the gameplay loop. But the Borderlands franchise did set itself apart by making a solid sense of humor core to its story, and that's something the movie has certainly embraced.
It's been three years since Borderlands went through principal photography. Reshoots took place more recently, under Deadpool director Tim Miller, a Eli Roth was busy making his holiday horror movie Thanksgiving. A Borderlands release date of August was finally given last July. This movie has truly been a long time coming.
