Why an Oscar winner signed on to the panned Borderlands movie

Eli Roth's Borderlands adaptation stars Oscar winners such as Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis. The former explained why she took part in the project. The film was panned by critics.

In an interview with USA Today, Blanchett revealed that she tried to keep her children away from video games during the pandemic. Roth eventually asked Blanchett to play Lilith in his adaptation.

She admitted that she found the Borderlands video game “quite addictive.” Blanchett particularly admired the female characters and the fan base.

“I thought, 'This could be really interesting,'” Blanchett said. “There was always a nod and a wink in the game; a deliberate B-grade mix of thick science fiction and spaghetti western.”

Starring in Borderlands also meant Blanchett got to act with Curtis and Gina Gershon. Still, Blanchett admits that Borderlands isn't sophisticated cinema – specifically mentioning The Grapes of Wrath and Blade Runner. “It's its own weird, weird thing, and if you look at the cast, it has a colorful quality to it,” she explained.

The Oscar winner said she doesn't focus on discussing films that are “hits” and “flops.”

“Sometimes the films we hold up as the best of all time were neither financially nor popular, and yet they have become classics,” Blanchett claimed.

This led Cate Blanchett back to Borderlands, which she admits is unlikely to be considered a cinematic masterpiece.

“I'm not saying Borderlands is a classic! It's a lot of fun, but it's not Citizen Kane!” she said.

What is Borderlands?

The upcoming Borderlands film is an adaptation of the video game series of the same name. Eli Roth, best known for his work in the horror genre, including Cabin Fever, Hostel and Thanksgiving, directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Crumble.

However, Roth was absent from the 2023 reshoots due to Thanksgiving filming. Tim Miller (Deadpool) directed the reshoots in his place.

Borderlands features a star-studded ensemble cast led by Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Édgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, Gina Gershon and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The film is distributed by Lionsgate. The world premiere took place on August 6 in Los Angeles, California. The film was released on August 9.

Who is Cate Blanchett?

Cate Blanchett has won two Oscars for her performances in The Aviator and Blue Jasmine. She has also received six other nominations for her roles in Elizabeth, Diary of a Scandal, I'm Not There, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Carol and Tár.

After gaining widespread acclaim for her performance in “Elizabeth,” she went on to play roles in “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “The Gift,” and “Charlotte Gray.”

From 2001, Blanchett played Galadriel in Peter Jackson's “Lord of the Rings” film adaptations. She returned in the subsequent “Hobbit” trilogy.

This isn't Blanchett's only foray into the world of franchise films. She starred in 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and has also appeared in the How to Train Your Dragon series, Thor: Ragnarok and Ocean's 8.

Most recently, Blanchett has starred in Don't Look Up, Nightmare Alley and Pinnochio. The last two films – Nightmare Alley and Pinnochio – were directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Borderlands is in theaters.