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The Borderlands Movie Just Cast An Oscar-Winning Actor

The Borderlands Movie Just Cast An Oscar-Winning Actor

Star power.

Ewan Moore

Ewan Moore

Oscar-winning star Cate Blanchett has just closed negotiations to star in the live-action Borderlands movie. We first learned that the Thor: Ragnarok actor was in talks to star the Eli Roth-directed adaptation last month, but Variety now reports that it's a done deal.

Blanchett will appear in the movie as Lilith, a major character who plays an important role across all the games. For those unfamiliar with Borderlands lore, Lillith is a skilled thief, and one of six Sirens - a group of women with incredible powers. Sirens have always been a key aspect of the Borderlands story, so it'll be interesting to see how their unique abilities translate to the big screen.

Thor: Ragnarok /
Marvel Studios

Blanchett and Roth last worked together on 2018's kid-friendly horror movie The House With A Clock In Its Walls. It... wasn't actually awful, though I imagine Borderlands will be far from kid-friendly. It's more likely to be in the vein of Roth's more adult offerings, like Hostel and Cabin Fever. But probably with more meta-humour and meme references. Cos Borderlands.

Still, casting Blanchett is undeniably a huge win for a project that I don't think many people have been taking that seriously so far. To be fair, when has anyone ever taken Borderlands seriously? Still, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Assassin's Creed had Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard going for it, and it still managed to suck.

Production has yet to start on Borderlands, but we do know that Craig Mazin is providing the script. Mazin won an Emmy for writing the hit show Chernobyl and is currently working on HBO's The Last Of Us, which is another sign that Borderlands has attracted some major talent. How? I wish I knew.

Borderlands 3 /
2K Games

In other, very different video game news, we recently learned that SEGA and Paramount Pictures have greenlit a sequel to Sonic The Hedgehog. After a disastrous first impression, the blue blur's lighthearted big screen antics ultimately won over audiences around the world and secured its spot as one of the most successful video game adaptations of all time.

The first film's director Jeff Fowler is set to return, and I can't wait to see what he cooks up for the next outing. I was genuinely convinced a live-action Sonic movie would end up being a garbage fire, but everyone involved somehow managed to make it not awful. Of course, expectations are higher now that we know a good Sonic movie can be made. No pressure.

Featured Image Credit: 2K Games

Topics: Borderlands