Cate Blanchett is starring as Lilith in the much-anticipated sci-fi action comedy ‘Borderlands,’ based on the popular video game series by Gearbox Software. Blanchett recently shared how she decided to join this film, revealing that she bought a PS5 and played the game to prepare for her role as Lilith. She wanted to grasp the game’s “limits” and understand what fans love about the character.
Blanchett takes on the role of Lilith in Eli Roth’s upcoming film ‘Borderlands.’ This project marks the second collaboration between the director and the actress, who previously worked together on the 2018 fantasy comedy ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls.’
Also Read: ‘Borderlands’: Your Ultimate Guide to The Latest Updates
The story follows Lilith, a notorious outlaw with a mysterious past. Reluctantly returning to her chaotic home planet, Pandora, she embarks on a mission to find the missing daughter of the universe’s most “powerful S.O.B., Atlas.”
In a recent interview with Empire Online, Blanchett revealed her reasons for joining the film. “The crazy asks are usually the things I gravitate towards, the things I could never conceive of,” she said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she spent a lot of time in the garden using a chainsaw “a little too freely.” She shared that starring in this movie helped her escape the “COVID madness,” with her husband suggesting that working on this film project could “save” her life.
To prepare for the role, Blanchett immersed herself in playing the ‘Borderlands’ games. “My thumbs can barely control a phone, but I bought a PS5, and we played each other,” she said. She wanted to understand the game’s “limits” and what fans “loved” about the character. She became deeply absorbed in the ‘Borderlands’ universe, exploring cosplayers and makeup tutorials on YouTube.
In May 2020, Variety reported on Eli Roth’s excitement about collaborating with Cate Blanchett for the second time. Roth mentioned feeling “lucky” that Blanchett is starring in his latest project, ‘Borderlands.’ He said their collaboration on ‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’ was “incredible” and believes there’s “nothing she can’t do.” Roth praised her versatility, noting, “From drama to comedy and now action, Cate makes every scene sing. Working with her is truly a director’s dream come true, and I feel so fortunate that I get to do it again on an even bigger scale.”
Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands’ is set to hit theatres on August 9, 2024. The film features an impressive cast including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, and Ariana Greenblatt, among others.