Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett is being eyed to play popular character Lilith in the Borderlands movie. The upcoming Lionsgate film is among a host of inbound video game adaptations. Borderlands is a first-person shooter that came out in 2009. The original title has been followed by the sequel Borderlands 2, which released in 2012, ahead of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in 2014. The third and most recent installment, Borderlands 3, launched last September.
Reports pointing to a Borderlands film adaptation first surfaced in 2015. In 2018, Chris McKay was rumored to be the one who would direct. However, more news didn't arrive until earlier this year, when Eli Roth came on board as director. At the time, production was slated to begin later this year. Though there hadn't been casting news until today, last year, Dwayne Johnson was suggested to voice the annoying but popular robot Claptrap in the movie. The idea came from the game's creative director.
Of course, this was all part of a fantasy cast selection, but things having moved forward since then. Variety has learned Blanchett is now in talks to play Lilith, one of the playable characters from the original Borderlands game. Hailing from the planet Dionysus, Lilith is one of just six women who fall under the formidable "siren" class in the game's universe and possesses remarkable powers. However, it is unknown whether she's alive or dead in the current video game series after undertaking a sacrificial task in Borderlands 3.
A veteran of the industry, Blanchett stars in the current Mrs. America series, where she plays Phyllis Schlafly. Blanchett also recently earned a Golden Globe nomination for her 2019 comedy Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Before that, she focused on voice work in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Blanchett was recently in the midst of filming Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley thriller. However, production was stalled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Blanchett seems like a great choice for the role of Lilith in the Borderlands movie. Considering her work in The Lord of the Rings and Thor: Ragnarok, she's well-versed in fantasy-style films. Due to her experience in the industry, she would also lend some gravitas to the Borderlands movie. But, with several projects on hold - some indefinitely - due to COVID-19, there are still many question marks as it pertains to when fans might get a release date or when the film will even go into production.
Source: Variety