Summary
As the first-ever live-action film adaptation of the franchise, the upcomingBorderlandsmovie naturally has a lot of pressure riding on its shoulders. Then, on top of the franchise adventuring into uncharted territory, theBorderlandsmovie is also in a position where it will need to appeal to new and longtime fans ofBorderlandsto setBorderlands 4up for success. As such,expectations for theBorderlandsmovieto provide a faithful adaptation of the beloved games are quite high.
Though these expectations may be impossibly high, one of the movie’s lead cast members has shed new, hopeful light on the situation. In an interview withEmpire, Cate Blanchett, who plays Lilith in theBorderlandsmovie, revealed that she has taken to playing some of theBorderlandsgames to become more familiar with the character she will portray. On the surface, this kind of research will surely be more useful than not, though it also has some concerning implications.
TheBorderlandsmovie is expected to be released on August 04, 2025, whileBorderlands 4currently has no release date.
Cate Blanchett Has Been Playing the Borderlands Games to Get into Character for Lilith
With Cate Blanchett taking an interest in theBorderlandsfranchise games to research playing the role of Lilith, this presumably means that Blanchett has been playing the originalBorderlandsgame. Even if her experience with the source material is not exclusively limited to the firstBorderlandsgame, she will likely be spending more time with that title than the other games. This is because Lilith was only a playable character in the original game, despite Lilith remaining a central character throughout theBorderlandsfranchise’s ongoing story in the subsequent games.
For fans who are curious abouthow faithful theBorderlandsmovie will be to the games, Blanchett’s interest in the games should help to curb some of this skepticism, at least regarding Blanchett’s character Lilith. Ultimately, Blanchett getting into theBorderlandsgames could bring an added layer of value to their portrayal of Lilith.
The Borderlands Movie’s Gun-Slinging Shouldn’t Overshadow Vault Hunters' Unique Powers and Abilities
On the other hand, though, theBorderlandsfranchise has come a long way from the ‘gun-slinging’ in the originalBorderlandsgame that Blanchett has developed a fondness for, especially regarding the character Blanchett will portray. Lilith is believed to be one ofthe most powerful characters in theBorderlandsfranchise, and Lilith’s gun-slinging has little to nothing to do with this.
Gun-slinging is still a central, signature part of theBorderlandsfranchise’s gameplay in recent games, which is sure to be translated into the movie, although the unique abilities ofBorderlands’ Vault Hunters have grown to become an equal, if not more important, element of each character. Consequently,theBorderlandsmovie’s Vault Huntersshouldn’t let their gunplay overshadow their individual abilities and powers, so as to not misrepresent each character’s most unique aspects. So, especially in the case of Lilith, it would be a missed opportunity for Lilith not to use her powers more often than she uses a gun.
Additionally, Lilith had very little depth as a character in the originalBorderlands, so hopefully, Blanchett looked more at her story moments inBorderlands 2andBorderlands 3.
Among all the controversies surrounding theBorderlandsmovie ahead of its release, such as concerns about the movie’s casting and its departure from the ongoing story of the games, theBorderlandsmovie has put itself in a delicate situation. Depending on fans’ reception of the movie, this could potentially decide the fate offuture adaptations for theBorderlandsfranchise. Consequently, it might be for the best for theBorderlandsmovie to be as faithful to the source material as possible, so in this regard, the movie should adapt both the franchise’s signature gunplay and unique character abilities, instead of favoring one over the other.
