In a twist nobody would have seen coming even a decade ago, video game movies are all the rage in the modern era of Hollywood.
There are so many video game franchises that are obviously a perfect fit for the world of cinema, and yet past failed attempts at adapting fan-favorite games has left a bad stigma against the idea. However, Hollywood seems determined to persevere with studios like Sony pursuing an entire slate of adaptations of their most beloved franchises .
One of the most anticipated projects currently in the works is Lionsgate's upcoming adaptation of the popular Borderlands franchise. The iconic series — which so far consists of four main releases — takes a co-op team of players on an open world RPG adventure filled with plenty of action, laughs, and more!
So far, the team for the TBD release consists of Eli Roth taking up the directing chair with Chernobyl creator, Craig Mazin, penning the script. Previously the only confirmed cast member was Cate Blanchett, who has joined the cast as Lilith. After a long rumored period of negotiation — as was reported last month by The Illuminerdi — another major actor has joined the cast as a fan-favorite character.
NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter has officially confirmed , Kevin Hart has joined the cast of the Borderlands adaptation as the skilled soldier, Roland.
Director Eli Roth commented on the casting saying:
“I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin. Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they’ve never seen before. He’s going to be an amazing Roland.”
The Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane expressed excitement for Hart's involvement, saying that the project "couldn't be in better creative hands:”
“Kevin has been behind some of the world's biggest blockbusters, and our source material is inspired by one of the world's best-selling video games. We love the way our filmmaking team has adapted this story and we couldn't be in better creative hands.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
This won't be Hart's first foray into the world of video games, having previously starred alongside his close friend, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, in the recent relaunch of the Jumanji series.
Even prior to The Illuminerdi's initial report of Hart's talks for the role of Roland, Hart was a fan-favorite among many to take up this role. Joining the star-studded team for the upcoming adaptation, Hart's veteran acting chops and comedy skills makes him a perfect choice for the world of Borderlands.
Currently, the title has no confirmed release date, however, recent reports from The Hollywood Reporter, have suggested the team are gearing up to begin shooting in Hungary soon despite the ongoing pandemic. This suggests that a 2022 release is extremely likely and makes it clear that fans should expect plenty more casting announcements soon.