Borderlands movie gets a second wind as Eli Roth is set to direct

Telltale already made the best Borderlands movie

Borderlands is a popular video game franchise because of all the video game things it does well. It’s an excellent shooter, it scratches a cooperative social itch, and it overwhelms players with a staggering amount of loot. The things it struggles with — story, dialogue, anything that isn’t shooting — are the exact reasons it’d be a tough adaption to anything outside of an interactive medium. Yet, Borderlands is being turned into a movie anyway.

Lionsgate has announced that it’s moving forward with a Borderlands film that has Eli Roth attached as the director. Roth (Hostel, Thanksgiving) says “I look forward to bringing my own energy, ideas, and vision to the wild, fun, and endlessly creative world of the game. Randy Pitchford and everyone at Gearbox have been incredibly supportive of my ideas — it really feels like a perfect storm of creators coming together. We are out to make a new classic, one which the fans of the game will love, but also one which will find new audiences globally.” Pitchford is attached as an executive producer.

Even though Lionsgate hasn’t talked about the story of the Borderlands movie, each game generally tells the same narrative: A group of Vault Hunters try their damnedest to open a Vault on Pandora (and beyond). It feels all but assured that the film will follow that same formula.

Maybe Roth’s involvement means Borderlands‘ silver screen adaption is actually ready to get underway. Lionsgate first revealed the movie back in 2015, and then we didn’t really hear anything about it for nearly five years. If this film ever comes to fruition (and that’s a major if), expectations won’t be too lofty. But, hey: Sonic the Hedgehog just went from laughing stock of the internet to one of the best video game movies ever. All hope isn’t lost, even if hope isn’t too high to begin with.

Eli Roth to Direct ‘Borderlands’ Movie Based on Hit Video Game for Lionsgate [Collider]