The Borderlands movie is reportedly in a development limbo. The news comes after co-writer Craig Mazin’s name was removed from the feature credits, replacing his name with an individual named Joe Crombie, a pseudonym. The change first reported by World of Reel, depicts the Borderlands film in a complete mess, with reshoots happening during the summer last year. World of Reel also reported that a test screen of the film took place in November, with Lionsgate requesting work be done on the movie.
After the reporting, Craig Mazin has since spoken out about the rumors, denying them outright. Speaking to Variety, Mazin says, “I am not a credited writer on the film, so I cannot claim any kind of authorship of ‘Borderlands,’ much less ‘co-writing. I did see the report about the pseudonym, which is false. I did not use a pseudonym. If the name in question is indeed a pseudonym, all I can say is… it’s not mine.”
Of course, the statement raises more speculation primarily in regards to the Borderlands film itself. The film stars Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Jack Black as Claptrap, among many others yet to be announced. A film adaptation for Borderlands was first announced way back in 2015, a surprise considering the Borderlands franchise had only seen two mainline games and a prequel title. Producers Avi and Ari Arad were named for the film, known for Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men, and more films. Lionsgate noted at the time their desire to step into the video game adaptation market, regarding it as a way to “source new brands with built-in audiences that will translate into great films and television shows.”
Since the 2015 announcement, there’s been virtually nothing to tell audiences more of what to expect of the Borderlands film. In 2021, fans got a sliver of a tease with a mere silhouette of some of the main cast, all in their respective costumes.
News of the Borderlands film being in post-production hell is nothing new in cinema, films can go years, sometimes decades without any update, often changing writers, scripts, producers. In recent years however, video game adaptations of film have become big business for major film studios such as Sony, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures, among many others.
The Uncharted film which released in 2022 was first announced way back in 2008 by producer Avi Arad. Over the next decade, various actors, directors, screenwriters stepped in and out of roles working on the film. It wasn’t until 2017 the film officially cast Tom Holland as Drake, with Ruben Fleischer as director. It’s unclear specifically why Uncharted remained in development hell for so long, but it’s likely that adapting a third-person shooter exclusive from the PlayStation console, into an effective motion picture would prove challenging. While the Uncharted video games are a developed franchise for the PlayStation consoles, a broader audience who have never played an Uncharted game or don’t play video games at all, would have to be introduced to a completely new character and story, moreover garner a wider audience to willingly go out and see the film.
Comparatively, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, released by Universal Pictures Illumination earlier this year was overwhelmingly successful, with a box office revenue of $1.3 billion globally. The film earned its success thanks in large part to a star-studded ensemble cast, vast marketing, and colorful animation design.
Other film adaptations of video games are still in the works, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Minecraft, It Takes Two, Ghost of Tsushima, and many more. It remains to be seen when a proper trailer will be released for the Borderlands film along with any more information.