What to expect from the Borderlands movie

Cinema doesn’t exactly have a great track record for adapting popular video games but that certainly hasn’t stopped filmmaker Eli Roth from putting a Borderlands movie in his crosshairs.

Based on the popular game series of the same name that has kept players happily button-bashing on consoles like Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo for years, Borderlands already has a solid built-in fanbase.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future described as a “space Western science fantasy”, these first-person shooters transport players to the mineral-rich planet of Pandora. Unlike James Cameron’s similarly named Avatar world, this Pandora replaces tall blue life-loving aliens with hardened convicts who have taken over and transformed the planet into a war-weary battleground.

However, when word surfaces of a mysterious fortune locked away in a hidden vault, a group of Vault Hunters emerge and make it their mission to bag it for themselves. The Borderlands movie aims to transform this tale into a colourful big-screen actioner — but what else do we know about it? Read on to find all the key details you need.

How can I watch Borderlands?

The Borderlands movie is available to buy and rent from Prime Video, Apple TV and Sky Store now. It was originally released in UK cinemas on Thursday, 8 August, but received a widespread kicking from critics.

Is there a trailer for Borderlands?

Aliens, bullets, explosions and bunny bombs all feature in the third and final trailer for the Borderlands movie. Released in July, this last collection of clips showcased a healthy mix of comedy quips and action visuals, while shedding a little more light on the bounty that awaits the hunter tough enough to claim it.

Following the first trailer reveal, a David Attenborough-themed second teaser was released, introducing us to the joys and dangers of planet Pandora. Ever wanted to hear an icon of British broadcasting (or someone who sounds like him at least), saying the phrases “p**s wash” and “urine oasis”? Of course, you have.

Stop kidding yourself and hit play below:

The first official trailer for the Borderlands movie found its unlikely heroes on the search for a hidden treasure — all while dodging bullets, drag racing suped-up vehicles and causing plenty of explosions.

Watch it below:

If you got a bit of a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe from the film’s first tease, you’re not alone. Soundtracked to Electric Light Orchestra’s Do Ya, the comparison was quickly made by fans in the trailer’s comments section.

What happens in Borderlands?

The Borderlands movie takes much of its plot directly from the game series that inspired it.

It introduces us to Lilith, “an outlaw with a mysterious past” who catches wind of a treasure locked away in her dilapidated home planet of Pandora. Returning to her old stomping ground, she sets out to befriend a young girl who may be able to help her access it — someone who just so happens to be the daughter of one of the universe’s most powerful people.

“Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team — Roland, a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg, Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis, the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap, a persistently wiseass robot,” explains the movie’s official synopsis.

“These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands but they'll be fighting for something more: each other.”

Who is in the Borderlands cast?

Cate Blanchett swaps her Oscars for explosives as Lilith, the flame-haired outlaw and leader of the film’s rag-tag group of anti-heroes.

She’s joined by Kevin Hart as former mercenary Roland, Barbie’s Ariana Greenblatt as blast-happy Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as her hench-protector Kreig and Jamie Lee Curtis as their resident wild scientist Dr. Patricia Tanis. Meanwhile, Jack Black lends his voice to the chatty robot Claptrap.

Jungle Cruise star Edgar Ramírez plays the film’s big-bad, Atlas, with Showgirls’ Gina Gershon also appearing as Mad Moxxi and magician Penn Juliette popping up in a cameo role, much like he does in the video game Borderlands 3.

The rest of the cast is rounded out by Swallow’s Haley Bennett, Black Widow actor Olivier Richters, comedian Bobby Lee and American Horror Story star Cheyenne Jackson.

Borderlands is available to buy and rent now