Summary:
- Cate Blanchett immersed herself in gaming to prepare for her role as Lilith in the Borderlands movie, directed by Eli Roth and released on August 9.
- The film follows Lilith and a team of misfits on a mission on the chaotic planet Pandora.
Cate Blanchett, the acclaimed actress known for her Golden Globe-winning performance in 2022’s Tár, recently revealed a surprising method she used to prepare for her role in the upcoming Borderlands movie: she picked up a PlayStation 5 and immersed herself in the gaming world.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Blanchett was searching for ways to escape the monotony of everyday life.
As she told Empire magazine, “I think there also may have been a little Covid madness — I was spending a lot of time in the garden, using the chainsaw a little too freely. My husband said, ‘This film could save your life.’”
Blanchett plays Lilith, a no-nonsense space outlaw leading a ragtag crew on a dangerous mission on her home planet of Pandora. To understand her character better, Blanchett decided to practice with a video game controller, even though she admitted:
“My thumbs can barely control a phone, but I bought a PS5 and we played each other. I wanted to know the limits of the game and what fans loved about the character. I got really absorbed in that whole world. The cosplayers. The YouTube make-up tutorials.”
Directed by Eli Roth, Borderlands boasts a star-studded cast including Kevin Hart as Roland, Jack Black as the voice of Claptrap, Edgar Ramírez as Atlas, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Gina Gershon as Mad Moxxi, and Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Patricia Tannis.
The film adaptation of the popular video game series has been in development since 2015 and finally came to fruition with Roth’s direction starting in 2020. Production wrapped up in 2021, with additional reshoots directed by Tim Miller in 2023 due to Roth’s commitments with another project.
Roth addressed comparisons between Borderlands and the Guardians of the Galaxy series, acknowledging the inevitable similarities due to the nature of the subject matter. However, he confidently stated that viewers would find Borderlands unique once they see the full film.
The official synopsis of Borderlands introduces Lilith as an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, who reluctantly returns to her chaotic home planet, Pandora, on a mission to find the missing daughter of Atlas, the universe’s most powerful man.
She forms an unlikely alliance with a team of misfits, including Roland, Tiny Tina, Krieg, Tannis, and Claptrap. Together, they must battle alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets.
Borderlands is set to hit theaters on August 9. Fans of the game and newcomers alike can look forward to seeing how Blanchett’s dedication to understanding her character translates to the big screen.
