Lionsgate’s Borderlands movie has added yet another A-lister to its cast. Previously, Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart signed up to appear in the video game adaptation, as directed by Eli Roth, and Jamie Lee Curtis joined them earlier this week. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Jack Black has been cast as the voice of perhaps the franchise’s best loved character, Claptrap.
For those unfamiliar, Claptrap is a robot with an unusually enthusiastic personality, which sounds like an ideal fit for Black seeing as he’s the resident comic relief figure of the Borderlands universe. It’s also not surprising that Roth hired the actor to take the role, seeing as they previously worked together on the director’s 2018 family fantasy film The House with the Clock in its Walls, which also featured Blanchett. Black and Hart have likewise shared the screen before in the Jumanji movies.
Roth had this to say on the news Black was playing the franchise’s unofficial mascot:
“I am so excited to reunite with Jack, this time in the recording booth,” said Roth. “Claptrap is the funniest character in the game, and Jack is perfect to bring him to the big screen.”
Lionsgate’s President Nathan Kahane, meanwhile, released the following statement to the press:
“It’s one of the biggest no-brainer casting decisions we’ve ever made,” said Kahane. “Everyone who’s ever played the game knows Jack is perfect for this part. We’re thrilled he will add his endless comic energy and voice to our film — he’ll bring so much to the movie.”
Blanchett is set to play legendary thief Lilith, with Hart as skilled soldier Roland. Curtis, meanwhile, portrays Dr. Tannis, an archaeologist on the planet Pandora, where our heroes are searching for a mysterious relic. Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) is providing the script.
Lionsgate’s really throwing a lot of talent at this one, then, so they’re clearly hoping for it to be another one of those recent video game movie success stories, alongside Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog. In fact, if it goes well, expect it to spawn a franchise.
The Borderlands film has yet to be given a release date. As always, though, watch this space for more.