Summary

  • Cate Blanchett playing the Borderlands games could add depth to her portrayal of Lilith in the upcoming movie.
  • However, her comments about 'gun-slinging' raises concerns that Lilith will not use her powers enough in the film.
  • Hopefully, Blanchett is not only looking at the scaled back version of Lilith from the original game and is also looking at Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3, as this is where Lilith shines.

As the first-ever live-action film adaptation of the franchise, the upcoming Borderlands movie naturally has a lot of pressure riding on its shoulders. Then, on top of the franchise adventuring into uncharted territory, the Borderlands movie is also in a position where it will need to appeal to new and longtime fans of Borderlands to set Borderlands 4 up for success. As such, expectations for the Borderlands movie to 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 with Empire, Cate Blanchett, who plays Lilith in the Borderlands movie, revealed that she has taken to playing some of the Borderlands games 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.

The Borderlands movie is expected to be released on August 9, 2024, while Borderlands 4 currently 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 the Borderlands franchise games to research playing the role of Lilith, this presumably means that Blanchett has been playing the original Borderlands game. Even if her experience with the source material is not exclusively limited to the first Borderlands game, 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 the Borderlands franchise’s ongoing story in the subsequent games.

For fans who are curious about how faithful the Borderlands movie 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 the Borderlands games 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, the Borderlands franchise has come a long way from the ‘gun-slinging’ in the original Borderlands game that Blanchett has developed a fondness for, especially regarding the character Blanchett will portray. Lilith is believed to be one of the most powerful characters in the Borderlands franchise, and Lilith’s gun-slinging has little to nothing to do with this.

Gun-slinging is still a central, signature part of the Borderlands franchise’s gameplay in recent games, which is sure to be translated into the movie, although the unique abilities of Borderlands’ Vault Hunters have grown to become an equal, if not more important, element of each character. Consequently, the Borderlands movie’s Vault Hunters shouldn’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 original Borderlands, so hopefully, Blanchett looked more at her story moments in Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3.

Among all the controversies surrounding the Borderlands movie ahead of its release, such as concerns about the movie’s casting and its departure from the ongoing story of the games, the Borderlands movie has put itself in a delicate situation. Depending on fans’ reception of the movie, this could potentially decide the fate of future adaptations for the Borderlands franchise. Consequently, it might be for the best for the Borderlands movie 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.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Borderlands 3 Tag Page Cover Art
Borderlands 3
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8 /10
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Released
September 13, 2019
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Developer(s)
Gearbox Software
Publisher(s)
2K Games
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Franchise
Borderlands
Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical or Horizontal
Genre(s)
First-Person Shooter, Action, RPG
How Long To Beat
25 Hours
Metascore
91
Platforms That Support Crossplay
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
PS Plus Availability
N/A
Local Co-Op Support
1-4 Players