The first trailer for the upcoming Borderlands film adaptation from Lionsgate, based on the incredibly popular gaming series, has arrived, and with it, fans got their first proper look at Cate Blanchett’s Lilith—though, some differences were made to the character.
[ Borderlands Movie Release, Cast & Everything We Know ]
Cat Blanchett's Lilith In Borderlands Vs. Game Version
The Lilith in Borderlands Movie Is Much Older
The key difference and one many fans will notice right away, is the age of Lilith in the movie compared to the original games.
For reference, Cate Blanchett, the actress portraying Lilith in the new film, is 54 years old. For the events of the first Borderlands game, Lilith is only 22 years old.
Needless to say, that is a pretty large difference.
While Cate Blanchett is a terrific actress, it is hard to see why the creative team could not have gotten someone else a little closer to the correct age range.
Lilith's Changing Wardrobe
Another difference between the two versions of Lilith is her outfit.
The movie does not go with a one-to-one recreation of any of her outfits from the games. In fact, her shiny, midnight-colored vest-shirt is pretty unique in its own right.
There is no real downside to this movie adaptation giving Lilith her own outfit—especially since the style of the character’s clothing remains faithful.
After all, the original game also featured plenty of alternate costumes for the character when she was playable.
Is Lilith Even a Siren?
In the Borderlands world, Lilith is a Siren.
Sirens are people with extraordinary, special superpowers, and only seven can ever exist at the same time.
The actual abilities held by those with this title can vary wildly, from phasing to force fields to leeching powers and more.
These special individuals are also marked by unique, elaborate tattoos running over their bodies.
While there has only been one trailer to pull from, fans have already noticed that there are not many signs suggesting the film has kept the Siren element of the character. There are not even any hints of her blue tattoos.
It is too early to judge yet, but ignoring that element of Lilith is certainly not going to sit well with fans if that is the direction the team goes in.
Eli Roth's Borderlands Has Many Changes
Oddly enough, Lilith is not the only character in the film who faces some of the above changes.
Like Lilith, Tannis, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, is also far older than their original counterpart. While the age gap is not as bad for Kevin Hart's Roland, the actor is not necessarily the person one might first think of to bring the character to life.
Despite some mismatched elements, the film seems to retain a lot of the spirit of the original games. And, even though some fans might not love the casting, there is no doubt that all the actors involved are very talented—so there is every chance the movie could still be a hit.
Fans should keep their expectations in check, though, especially regarding its similarity to the stories from the games.
The first trailer confirms that instead of adapting any one plot thread, it's cherry-picking elements from across the entire franchise (such as how the team of main characters is wildly different than any installment).
Hopefully, the film does well because maybe then the series can bring fan-favorite villain Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2 into live-action.
Borderlands releases on August 9.
