The production of the long-awaited movie adaptation of Borderlands seems to have hit a major roadblock as the film’s co-writer Craig Mazin has announced leaving the project.
After a multi-year struggle to secure a director, it was finally announced in 2020 that Eli Roth would helm the adaptation of the popular video game. Accompanying him was the aforementioned scriptwriter Mazin, renowned for his work on HBO‘s The Last of Us, as well as the critically acclaimed Chernobyl miniseries.
However, the film’s production hit a roadblock when it was revealed that Tim Miller, known for his work on Deadpool, had been considered for potential reshoots due to Roth‘s commitments to his new slasher film, Thanksgiving.
This complication was further compounded by Mazin distancing himself from the film, announcing that he is no longer attached to it. With the film already in post-production, the task of replacing Mazin‘s written parts and reshooting relevant scenes with Tim Miller to ensure coherence has become a daunting challenge, according to press reports.
The Borderlands movie has garnered much anticipation, with expectations of a star-studded cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart. The shooting of the movie began in 2021 at ORIGO Studios in Budapest and was wrapped up the same year.
However, there has been a concerning lack of updates on the project for the past two years. The constant turnover of writers has also raised concerns, with fears that the film may lose its identity amid the numerous creative changes and possible reshoots.
As of now, Borderlands has no confirmed release date.
Cover photo by Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate