The new Borderlands movie naturally has the attention of those who’ve played through the games for over 10 years now, but when it releases, you won’t have to be totally read up on Borderlands know-how to enjoy it. Director Eli Roth indicated as much in an interview recently where he said that people don’t even have to play the first game to enjoy the movie. He equated the movie to a “gateway drug” for Borderlands players but reassured longtime fans that they’d still have plenty of Easter eggs to look unearth when watching the movie.
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Roth spoke about the new Borderlands movie in an interview with Collider wherein he discussed the audience accessibility of the film among other topics. He said both newcomers and “hardcore gamers” will be able to enjoy the movie and alluded to some of the secrets and references those familiar with Borderlands will spot.
“You do not have to have played the game to enjoy the film,” Roth said. “I wanted, you know, Fifth Element, Raiders of the Lost Ark, something totally fun. Like with Tomb Raider if you didn’t play the game you could still enjoy the movie. We’ve been able to craft a story with all kinds of Easter Eggs for hardcore gamers, but also a movie that’s accessible for fans. When I pitched for it I said, ‘Oh I’m making the gateway drug for Borderlands players.’ Like if you’ve played the game and you’re a hardcore gamer, you’re gonna love all the details that are in it and the fun of it, and if you have never played the game before watching the movie will make you want to play it.”
The details of how the movie caters to both types of audiences should be welcome, though expected, news to those planning on going to see it when it releases. It has to have something to appeal to those who’ve been playing the games for so long to make them feel like the creators understood the series well, but it also has to attract newcomers to come see it, too, to welcome new people into the fandom and ensure that follow-up movies have the potential to be made.
The most recent news on the status of the Borderlands movie was that filming had wrapped with a glimpse of Claptrap offered as a treat. The movie itself, however, does not yet have a release date nor does it have a rating.
