Lionsgate

There was a time, not that long ago, when most movies and TV shows based on a video game stunk. That’s obviously not true anymore. Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros., Halo, Arcane, and The Last of Us have all found recent success in a different medium. Now, there’s a new contender ready to join them on that list of successful video game adaptations. The fun first trailer for Borderlands promises an exciting space adventure with an all-star cast. That includes Cate Blanchett in a role she, and she alone, was born to play—the coolest person in the universe.

Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, and Gina Gershon join Oscar-winners Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis in what looks like a Guardians of the Galaxy-inspired space romp. They’ll make their way through the sci-fi western world of Gearbox Software and 2K’s Borderlands video game franchise. This unlikely group will be doing more than just looking for a valuable Vault, though.

Here’s the official synopsis for Borderlands to bring the trailer into focus:

Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Ramírez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland (Hart), a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound protector; Tannis (Curtis), the oddball scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Black), a wiseass robot. Together, these unlikely heroes must battle an alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.

Borderlands comes from director Eli Roth (Thanksgiving, Hostel). He co-wrote the script with newcomer Joe Crombie. (Well, he’s either a newcomer or Roth’s co-writer used a pseudonym.)

What Is the Release Date for the Borderlands Movie?

Will Borderlands end up joining the short list of successful video game adaptations or the long one of complete duds? We won’t know until it lands in theaters this summer on August 9, 2024. But if we had to bet our hidden fortune on either we’d go with successful. How can a movie be bad when it’s got Cate Blanchett playing a perfect part.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
The most influential movies ever made
20 period pieces you should watch
Longtime ‘SportsCenter’ anchor announces he is leaving ESPN
Second chances: Notable bands and musicians who experienced a career resurgence
The 25 most entertaining horror movies
The 20 concert tours you can't miss in 2024
20 albums turning 50 in 2024
The 20 greatest heist movies
20 movies that should be adapted into musicals
Super Bowl LVIII halftime show takeaways
Brad Pitt shades Eagles while praising Philly superfan Bradley Cooper
The 20 best modern rom-coms
20 performances that thwarted audience expectations
Comedy gold: 20 funny films that won an Oscar
23 actors that need to have a renaissance
The best karaoke songs from the 2020s
20 great movies that didn’t get nominated at the 2024 Oscars
The 25 best movies about high-school sports
The 23 best films of 2023
The 50 best albums of 2023