2023 was the year of film adaptations. Two of its biggest blockbusters were some form of game or toy-inspired films with Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie., both hitting the billion-dollar mark. While in the TV sphere, The Last of Us made quite a splash, which was also inspired by the game of the same name. Therefore, 2024’s Borderlands inspired by Gearbox Software’s game happened to follow the proven method of adaptation.
In a recent interview, director Eli Roth unraveled how the movie was inspired by MCU’s genius game plan which facilitated the latter’s 15-year-long reign. Film adaptations are the real deal today, and Roth’s Borderlands doesn’t beg to differ. However, he added that the Cate Blanchett-starrer shall tease the game’s theme while following a distinct plotline.
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Borderlands walks into Marvel’s steps
The 51-year-old director made it clear that Borderlands won’t be essentially mimicking the game, but will be an entire story of its own. Talking to IGN, Eli Roth shared minute aspects of the adaptation process that went behind the making of the movie. Moreover, the CEO of Gearbox Software, Randy Pitchford enlightened him with a staggering bit of advice. Roth recalled,
“There are certain things that we kept very, very close, but I really worked with [Gearbox Software CEO] Randy Pitchford, and he goes, ‘Think of it like Marvel, where the comics are their own canon and the movies are their own canon, and you don’t have to be married to it. The games are going to be the games and the movie’s, the movie, and if they continue it, great.’”
Pitchford urged Roth to let his creativity flow and develop an original storyline rather than simply sticking to the game’s specifics. Hence, with a sense of freedom, Roth molded Borderlands into an action-comedy topped with a star-studded cast including Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Lee, Gina Gershon, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart, among others.
Eli Roth entrusts his faith in adaptations
The significant success of the MCU hints at the fact that fans do not despise a tweak in plots or a slight shift from originality. The idea is to maintain a balance between the original game and a new plotline. Therefore, the Knock Knock director seemed to have understood the assignment as he added,
“So we could use certain things, but I didn’t want to have to be too slavish. I didn’t just want to film the game. We wanted to tell a great story on its own, but of course it’s loaded with Easter eggs for the fans. It’s a big movie.”
Differentiating game fans from film fans is essential in such a film adaptation. Nevertheless, The Last of Us has been massively successful in that matter, and the numbers are proof. Thus, no more a trial-and-error approach but a tried-and-true method guarantees the success of Borderlands scheduled to be released in August 2024. As Marvel Studios witnesses its first decline in MCU’s Phase 4, other films taking inspiration from the franchise are on the rise.
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