Despite the general inconsistency that’s plagued the genre for almost 30 years, Hollywood shows no signs of giving up on video game adaptations anytime soon. Warner Bros.’ Mortal Kombat reboot is next out of the gate, and will be looking to fare a whole lot better than Paul W.S. Anderson’s Monster Hunter, while the Resident Evil reboot is coming later this year, and Tom Holland’s Uncharted was recently pushed back to February 2022.
One of the most interesting console-to-screen translations in the works, though, is Borderlands, based entirely on the talent involved. The game series may have sold 45 million copies and generated over a billion dollars in revenue, proving there’s clearly a massive built-in fanbase there, but as we’ve seen many times in the past, that doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to a live-action blockbuster.
Horror veteran Eli Roth is set to direct from a script written by Emmy winning Chernobyl scribe Craig Mazin, with two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett already signed on as Lilith. That’s an eclectic mix to say the least, and things just got a whole lot more interesting following the big reveal that Kevin Hart has officially joined Borderlands as Roland. In a statement released to celebrate the news, Roth said:
“I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin. Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they’ve never seen before. He’s going to be an amazing Roland.”
The diminutive comedian may have just signed a massive first-look deal with Netflix, but that clearly hasn’t impacted his ability to tackle outside projects. And if Borderlands retains even half of the insanity that characterized the games, then it’ll mark completely new and very exciting territory for both Blanchett and Hart.
Of course, Roth is very inconsistent behind the camera, but his eye for gonzo violence could be just what the movie needs to stand out among a crowded pack, with no less than sixteen video game properties in development around Hollywood right now.