Borderlands Movie Gets Screenwriter and Producer
The Borderlands movie that Lionsgate took on last year finally has a screenwriter and a producer. Aaron Berg, who was responsible for creating the script for Section 6, will be tasked with writing duties on the R-rated movie. Meanwhile, Arad Productions will take on the producing role, giving the movie the backing of people who have worked on films such as Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man and Ghost Rider.
Borderlands first hit store shelves in October 2009. It has since become something of a fan favorite despite less-than-stellar reviews and Gearbox Software’s biggest success to date. The action role-playing games see players exploring locations such as Pandora as they seek to prevent the release of deadly weapons or other disasters.
The gameplay largely revolves around the looting of weapons and gear, though had a rather tepid plot that wouldn’t seem to easily lend itself to a movie adaptation. However, the setting and host of memorable characters may be what has made a film version an interesting concept.
While movies based on video games have proven to be a largely unsuccessful venture, with none of the previously released adaptations achieving box office success or critical acclaim, more and more publishers are now looking to exploit their biggest properties. This includes the likes of Warcraft, Angry Birds, Ratchet and Clank, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Meanwhile, Ubisoft has set up its own movie and TV production company to work on films based on Assassin’s Creed, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell and Far Cry.
The news follows an announcement last week that Gearbox was now beginning work on Borderlands 3. The last game in the series was the 2014 release Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, while Borderlands 2 became available worldwide in 2012. According to the company’s CEO, Randy Pitchford, Battleborn art director Scott Kester is moving onto the new project to lead the visual style. Kester is familiar with the franchise having previously worked as the lead concept artist on earlier instalments.