Aaron Berg, writer behind G.I. Joe 3 and the spy thriller Section 6, has been drafted in to pen the script for Lionsgate’s live-action Borderlands movie, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
First announced in August of last year, the studio’s vision for a “no-holds-barred” feature film based on Gearbox’s sci-fi franchise reportedly leans closer to an edgy, R-rated rendition of the studio’s space western. Taking place on the planet Pandora, the original video game franchise is celebrated for its wonderfully over-the-top humor and sense of style, and has since sold upwards of 26 million copies since the first game arrived in 2009.
Avi Arad’s banner, Arad Productions will lend support to the Borderlands movie, who released the following statement when the feature film was confirmed a little less than a year ago:
“Borderlands has a unique story-driven narrative energy and rich multi-dimensional characters that position it to become a singular motion picture event.”
Berg’s appointment to pen the script is certainly a step in the right direction for Lionsgate’s Borderlands film, even if it’s unlikely the finished product will grace screens before 2018. Then, it’ll be arriving in a world populated by gritty Star Wars movies (Rogue One) and, potentially, an R-rated Deadpool 2. Borderlands, with its infusion of science fiction and its comic book art style, could well be nurtured into a bona fide hit. All it needs now is a director to take point at the helm.
Lionsgate’s big-screen rendition of Borderlands joins an ever-growing slate of video game movies in the proverbial pipeline. This year, we have the release of Sony’s Angry Birds Movie, Warcraft: The Beginning and Justin Kurzel’s live-action Assassin’s Creed movie, with the latter poised to swoop into theaters this December.
Published: Apr 25, 2016 03:28 pm