Borderlands fans hail Cate Blanchett – but one star “ruins” movie

The long-awaited Borderlands movie adaptation just got its first look – and while the praise is piling in for Cate Blanchett, fans say one star “ruins” the film. 

Video game adaptations are hot property right now following the success of The Last of Us, The Super Mario Bros Movie, The Witcher, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Arcane.

Given Borderlands is widely considered to be one of the best looter shooter games of all time, it’s no surprise there’s been much hype surrounding a live-action movie version. 

The project has been stuck in development hell, having first been announced all the way back in 2015. However, this is all set to change with the film dropping in 2024 – and now a first look has been revealed. 

Borderlands fans hail Cate Blanchett – but one star “ruins” movie

People shared an exclusive first look at the Borderlands movie with a series of images, and while Cate Blanchett as the red-headed Lilith has received plenty of praise, some fans think Kevin Hart as Roland is dragging the team down. 

“Kevin Hart ruined this for me,” wrote one on X, while another elaborated further on why they think Hart is an odd choice, stating, “Kevin Hart playing the most serious character in the series seems like an interesting choice.”

X/People/Lionsgate

A third added, “Kevin Hart as Roland has to be an all-time worst casting,” while a fourth chimed in, “Kevin Hart as Roland shatters my heart man. They f*cking nailed it with Lilith tho.”

Speaking of which, beyond the Roland casting criticism, fans are full of praise for Blanchett as Lilith, who looks strikingly similar to the character she’s portraying. “She definitely has the vibe,” wrote one, while another said, “She looks almost identical to the game version of Lilith.”

Alongside Blanchett and Hart, the main first-look photo for the Borderlands film, directed by horror icon Eli Roth, shows Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, and Jack Black as Claptrap. 

As per the official synopsis from Lionsgate: “Lilith, an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe’s most powerful S.O.B., Atlas. 

X/People/Lionsgate

“Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team – Roland, a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg, Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis, the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap, 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.”

After nine years in development, the Borderlands movie is finally set to drop on August 9, 2024 – until then, you can read all about it here.