Gavankar and Ramirez are the latest stars to be cast in the big-screen adaptation of the popular video game Borderlands. They join an A-list ensemble that includes Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jack Black.
The Way Back and The Morning Show actress will play the role of Commander Knoxx, a new, key character being introduced to the Borderlands franchise.
The Indian-American actress, filmmaker and musician released her short film Stucco last year, which she co-wrote, co-directed, and produced. Stucco won a special jury award at SXSW and has become one of the fest’s most watched short films, clocking 33M views.
The Undoing and American Crime Story actor Edgar Ramirez will be playing Atlas, a business titan and arms manufacturer who is considered to be the universe’s most powerful person.
“What an incredible honor to have an actor of Edgar’s caliber, talent, and charisma playing opposite Cate Blanchett and this remarkable cast,” said Eli Roth, who is directing the Lionsgate film. “Atlas has to be a truly magnetic personality, someone with charisma and charm but that air of menace underneath it all. I’ve been a fan of Edgar’s since his early performances and he continues to amaze me with each dramatic turn. We want to create something wild, fun, and very different from anything they’ve seen from Edgar before. I am so, so excited to work with him.”
The storyline is being kept under wraps for the time being, but if it follows the role-playing first-person shooter game, then it’ll be set in the future on the abandoned planet of Pandora, where people are in search of a mythical alien vault.
Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, added, “The force of Edgar’s presence and the strength of his talent as an actor make him an ideal choice to play Atlas, a character who controls the fate of so many in the ‘Borderlands’ universe. He’s the perfect addition to this perfect cast.”
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Adam Goodman, the head of Hungarian production services company MidAtlantic Films, mentioned the Borderlands movie was one of several productions about to go ahead in his country. “We’re opened up space for a Lionsgate film, Borderlands, we’re doing season three of Jack Ryan for Paramount TV, and we’re doing a Marvel project, which, for the usual security reasons, I can’t talk about,” he said.
