Gearbox Software has provided an update on the Borderlands movie while also revealing plans to make a Duke Nukem adaptation. Comic book movies are currently enjoying a renaissance, and next up might be video game movies. It's no secret that Hollywood has struggled to adapt video games onto the silver screen; the most successful adaptation thus far has been the Resident Evil series, and even that is undergoing a reboot.
In addition to the Resident Evil reboot, various studios are working on adaptations for games such as Rampage, Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell, and Call of Duty, among several others. Now, Gearbox Software wants to get in on the trend. Two years ago, they announced plans to adapt Borderlands into a feature film in partnership with Lionsgate. The movie studio has since hired G.I. Joe 3 scribe Aaron Berg to write the script for the film that will be rated R.
It has been over a year since we last heard about the Borderlands film. During an interview with Geoff Keighley on YouTube Live at E3, Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford provided an update on the adaptation.
"We’ve been developing scripts and the strategy that we’re on right now is, that it’s obviously all in the Borderlands universe, but rather than retell the stories that were in the game, we’ll create new stories so the films will have their own film canon. We’ll use all the characters and scenarios, it’s similar to what Marvel is doing. You can’t read any particular film plot in a comic book but there’s a lot of the characters, themes, and, in fact, some of the situations are represented."
In addition to the Borderlands movie, Pitchford also revealed that they are nearing a deal with a major Hollywood studio to produce a Duke Nukem movie, after Keighley joked about them producing a Duke Nukem film next.
"We’re working on [Duke Nukem]! I can’t announce it but it’s blown my mind, there’s been a lot of production companies that have come at us. We’re putting together a deal right now with a major motion picture studio; I’ll tell you off the record if you want to know. It’s the exact right people that should be doing a Duke Nukem film and we’ll see what happens. It’s unbelievable, I think that’s very likely to be a thing."
Interestingly, Hollywood has been trying to make a Duke Nukem film since the late '90s, back when Mortal Kombat producer Lawrence Kasanoff was at the helm. It had been stuck in development hell for over a decade. Then, in 2009, it was revealed that the film had entered pre-production. The following year, Gearbox acquired the rights to the video game series, thus shuttering plans for a film. Several years have passed, and it looks like they are finally moving forward with not only a Duke Nukem adaptation but a Borderlands one as well.
Next: Rampage Set Photo Teases the Aftermath of a Giant Monster Attack
Source: YouTube Live