Summary
- Video game adaptations are now Hollywood’s next big thing, with Borderlands joining the trend thanks to recent successes.
- Pitchford is grateful for the changing perception towards video game adaptations, highlighting the impact of films like The LEGO Movie.
- Despite being a miracle to make, the chaotic and comedic story of Borderlands is a perfect fit for a feature film adaptation.
As a long-time gamer and follower of video game adaptations, I must say that the news of the upcoming Borderlands movie has filled me with unbridled excitement! The journey it took to finally make it to the big screen feels like a miraculous feat, much like finding the legendary Vault on Pandora itself.
In the past, the announcement of a new video game adaptation would often elicit groans from audiences. However, today, these adaptations are becoming major players in Hollywood, and Randy Pitchford, creator of Borderlands, has acknowledged this trend as the reason behind his upcoming movie being approved. Directed by Eli Roth and featuring an impressive cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, and more, the film adaptation of Borderlands is based on the popular first-person shooter game franchise with the same name. The story takes place on the desert planet Pandora, where a band of misfits are in a race to discover the planet’s hidden treasure. Fans of the games are familiar with the peculiar world of Borderlands, and it is due to the growing popularity of video game adaptations that this world will now be brought to life on the silver screen.
As a gamer, I recently sat down with GamesRadar+ to chat about the journey of bringing Borderlands to the big screen. You see, when the concept was initially proposed to me, Tales from the Borderlands weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms in Hollywood. The CEO and founder of Gearbox Studios, yours truly, shared that back then, they were skeptical about video game adaptations. I said, “It took a while, but we finally convinced them that Borderlands has what it takes to be a successful movie.”
“I’m thrilled to say I was vindicated. You see, Avi Arad, our remarkable producer, and I had our first meeting with RA way back in 2011, which feels like ages ago now. For years, I persistently pursued him, and it seemed like the longest courtship ever before he agreed to collaborate on this project. At that time, there was a general consensus that making a movie based on a video game would never amount to much.”
Over the past five years, there has been a significant shift in how the industry views video game adaptations. The once infamous ‘video game curse’ has been shattered, leading to an increasing number of video game adaptations being given the green light weekly. Pitchford is appreciative of the recent successes within this genre, but he doesn’t solely credit video game adaptations for the creation of Borderlands. Instead, he believes that films such as The LEGO Movie and Barbie, which are based on popular toys, have also played a role in shaping Hollywood’s current mentality. He elaborated:
“Nowadays, we live in a world where all sorts of inventive modifications flourish, not limited to video games alone, but also toys. Consider the transformations of Lego and Barbie for instance. The essence of a film isn’t tied to its original medium; it’s about emotions, experiences, and characters. A movie can whisk us away to realms beyond our ordinary lives.”
It Took a “Miracle” To Make the Borderlands Movie
The humorous, sequential plotline of “Borderlands” lends itself perfectly for a movie adaptation. Unlike other games with multiple outcomes like “Fallout” or “The Witcher,” “Borderlands” offers a straightforward, three-act narrative that can be effortlessly translated into a film, TV series, or any other storytelling format. Remarkably, the video game series (consisting of three primary games and various spin-offs) has achieved tremendous success, yet Pitchford remains astonished at how a “Borderlands” movie came to fruition. He stated:
It’s astonishing how a film of such magnitude ever comes to fruition, considering the financial implications and the incredible pool of talent required. The key, it seems, is having something compelling that audiences can trust and invest their faith in. Interestingly, we’re discovering that video games share this success not only due to their gameplay, but also because of the characters, narratives, and universes they create.
The film version of “Borderlands” is set to hit cinemas in August. Randy Pitchford and the entire team behind it are hoping that this movie will ride the wave of success from recent video game adaptations such as “Fallout”, “The Last of Us”, “Castlevania”, and the “Sonic the Hedgehog” series. With just one film currently planned, Pitchford has hinted at the potential for a “Borderlands” Cinematic Universe if the movie proves to be successful.
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2024-08-03 02:01