“We wanted to make a big-scope, sci-fi adventure that’s both fresh and authentic in spirit to the characters and their universe,” says writer-director Eli Roth of the action-adventure-comedy Borderlands, based on one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time, made to be experienced on the big screen. “I wanted to create the best moviegoing experience possible. I want it to be an emotional ride and for audiences to cheer.”
Long before producing Borderlands, Ari Arad, whose credits include the recent hit Uncharted, had enjoyed playing the game upon which it’s based, calling it “cool and weird, and one of the more exciting and emotional games I’ve experienced. The game is action-packed but there’s a sweetness to it, which I thought was unique.”
A meeting with Randy Pitchford, founder of Gearbox and the creator of the Borderlands franchise, led to a two-year conversation about bringing the game to the big screen. Pitchford also served as executive producer and was involved at every stage of the way — from development and principal photography to the editing room. He provided invaluable insight into the Borderlands universe, characters, themes, and storylines to help the filmmaking team craft a film that captures the essence of Borderlands, appealing to both longtime fans and newcomers alike.
Ari and his father, producer Avi Arad, who’s played a key role in shaping the Marvel Cinematic Universe, brought on Erik Feig, a former studio executive, as a producer. Feig was drawn to the project because, “It’s bright, colorful, and adventurous, and set in a world we haven’t seen before. And it has heart. It is about a group of misfits who have been abandoned but come together with a mission and form a new family. That emotional journey, combined with an incredibly rich and visual world, gave us so much to work with to create an action-adventure with spectacle and fun. Eli came in hot with his vision for the project. He knew how to hit the story’s epic scale and had a great take on its Lilith/Tiny Tina relationship elements.”
“The unique Borderlands visual and comedic tone — that energy and vibe — in our movie,” says Feig. This is a sci-fi extravaganza that feels wildly, wildly original.”
“If you’ve never experienced Borderlands before in any way, it’s very rare that you can be treated to something that is literally an entirely new universe, that simultaneously has things that are relatable and things that are surprising and delightful all in the mix. At times your adrenaline is going be through the roof, at other times you’re going to laugh your ass off with a brand of comedy that you’ve probably not experienced before, and then you’re going to be surprised that there’s a serious center line,” shares Randy Pitchford, the film’s executive producer and founder of The Gearbox Entertainment Company.
Borderlands follows Lilith (Cate Blanchett), an infamous treasure hunter with a mysterious past, who reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Edgar Ramírez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. She forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits ― Roland (Kevin Hart), once a highly respected soldier, but now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Dr. Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), the scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Jack Black), a persistently wiseass robot. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands ― but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.
ELI ROTH – WRITER, DIRECTOR
Award-winning filmmaker Eli Roth made his directorial debut in 2002 with the hugely successful film Cabin Fever, and his follow-up titles – Hostel, Hostel Part II, Knock Knock, and Death Wish – have earned him critical praise and a reputation as a true innovator in the horror space. In front of the camera, Roth is best known for appearing as Sgt. Donnie Donowitz, the bat-swinging “Bear Jew” in Quentin Tarantino’s epic Inglourious Basterds, for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award. Roth also showed up in Tarantino’s Death Proof, and recently appeared in the much-talked-about MAX show “The Idol.” Roth has successfully pivoted to family fare by hosting Discovery Channel’s popular “Shark Week” and its late-night talk show, “Shark after Dark.” He also directed 2018’s fantasy-comedy The House with the Clock in Its Walls starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett. On the TV side, Roth hosts and produces a series of Discovery/Travel Channel “Eli Roth Presents” programs including “The Legion of Exorcists,” “A Ghost Ruined My Life,” and “My Possessed Pet.” Roth’s critically acclaimed Fin, a harrowing documentary detailing the destructive practices of the shark fin trade, premiered to rave reviews in July 2021 as part of Discovery’s Shark Week, and went on to be nominated for a 2022 Cinema for Peace Award. Most recently, Roth directed, produced, and wrote the horror-slasher Thanksgiving, based on Roth’s fictitious trailer from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s “Grindhouse” Death Proof/Planet Terror double-feature. The film was a critical and box office hit, as well as an instant cult classic with fans, and a sequel was immediately greenlit, which Roth is currently writing. Roth also produced the first-ever live action VR series, “The Faceless Lady,” which was released by Meta.
Eli Roth (Thanksgiving, The House with a Clock in Its Walls), directed Borderlands from a screenplay by Roth and Joe Crombie and screen story by Roth.
