Randy Pitchford has taken to Twitter once again to remind fans excited for the upcoming Borderlands film that it isn't canon with the video games.
The hype surrounding the film has recently increased after Jamie Lee Curtis posted a picture showing a silhouette of Cate Blanchett's depiction of Lilith. With renewed interest comes more questions, and Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford has taken to Twitter to answer a few of them.
When one Twitter user asked whether the film would be canon with the preexisting Borderlands universe, Pitchford explained that some of the crew working on the movie are starting to refer to the film as "within the Borderlands Cinematic Universe." According to Pitchford, the film will have "authentic characters" and will be "related to the video games", but is independent from preexisting stories.
To put it in fewer words, the Borderlands film will not be canon and could have wildly different story beats from the games. Pitchford's involvement in the film clearly indicates that director Eli Roth is looking to make the film as faithful as possible, but will inevitably want to take the characters in his own direction. The fact that Pitchford is referencing a singular film as part of a cinematic universe may even indicate that there are plans for a sequel if the film performs well.
As for how authentic the film will be, that's one mystery that will only be solved when it finally hits the big screen. News surrounding the film's casting has seen a rollercoaster of emotions from fans. Jamie Lee Curtis feels like an actor incredibly suited to playing the mad archaeologist Patricia Tannis, but Kevin Hart as Roland and Jack Black as Claptrap are questionable decisions at best.
Whatever your feelings about a Borderlands movie, there's no stopping it now as production has ramped up significantly over the past year. Filming has been underway in Hungary since the beginning of the year and the movie is being written by Aaron Berg and Craig Mazin, the latter of which is known for his work on Chernobyl and is also currently working on a The Last of Us TV series with Neil Druckmann.
Hopefully, with the level of talent currently on board, Roth and friends can deliver a terrific and authentic Borderlands movie.