The Borderlands movie’s first trailer is here, and everyone’s comparing it to the same Marvel movie
What are we, some kind of Guardians of the Galaxy?
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The first trailer for Lionsgate’sBorderlandsmovie is finally here – and no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; this isn’t a spoof-filled take on a particularMarvelmovie series.
That said, to the uninitiated, it might appear to be. The film’s colorful and eccentric band of misfits, the teased storyline that suggests they’ll be railing against the establishment and/or a evil galactic corporation, and its space opera-style tone might make you think it’s aGuardians of the Galaxy(GotG) knock-off. But hey, don’t take my word for it – check out theBorderlandsfilm’s first teaser below to see for yourself:
See what I mean? It’s action-packed, and full of the quips (some are a little on the nose) and humorous bickering, and the sci-fi surrealness, that are hallmarks of theGuardians' three superhero adventures. Its footage is even accompanied by its own catchy, nostalgic musical number – Electric Light Orchestra’sDo Ya, which was released in June 1972 – another feature of theGuardians' Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) trailers.
General audiences should note, though, thatBorderlandsisn’t a parody of Marvel’sGuardiansfilms or any other superhero flicks.Borderlandsis a long-running, wacky, action role-playing game (RPG) franchise from Gearbox Software with a devoted following, nine titles in the series to date, and multiple awards to its name. In short: it’s anything but a satirical take on the MCU.
Meet the #BorderlandsMovie crew 🔥 Cate Blanchett - Lilith🧠 Jamie Lee Curtis - Dr. Tannis😤 Kevin Hart - Roland🐰 Ariana Greenblatt - Tiny Tina🤖 Jack Black - Claptrap🚲 Florian Munteanu - Krieg pic.twitter.com/mEhjXjCF6OFebruary 21, 2024
Alright, so what is it about?Borderlandsstars Cate Blanchett (Thor: Ragnarok,The Lord of the Rings) as Lilith, an infamous bounty hunter who reluctantly returns to her homeworld of Pandora to locate the missing daughter of a universal autocrat called Atlas (Florida Man’s Edgar Ramirez).
Along the way, Lilith forms an unlikely alliance with a number of gun-toting and maniacal outsiders, including Roland (Kevin Hart), Tiny Tina (Star Wars: Ahsoka’s Ariana Greenblatt), Krieg (Shang-Chi’s Florian Munteanu), Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Claptrap (Jack Black). Together, the group will unearth a galactic secret that’ll change the course of Lilith’s mission – and, apparently, their lives.
Eli Roth (Hostel,Thanksgiving) has directed one of 2024’snew moviesfrom a script he co-penned with first-time screenwriter Joe Crombie. Randy Pitchford, CEO of The Gearbox Entertainment Company, who oversaw theBorderlandsfranchise’s development, is one of the movie’s many executive producers.
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Borderlandsarrives in theaters on August 9. All threeGuardiansfilms are available to stream onDisney Plus.
Borderline inspiration
If you’re still convinced that theBorderlandsmovie has drawn plenty of inspiration fromGuardians of the Galaxy’s cinematic outings, you’re not the only one, with plenty of people commenting on the similarities between the movies' aesthetic, comedy, action, and ragtag group of outsiders.
In fact, Pitchford has also suggested that the success of Marvel’sGuardiansmovies, the last of which wasMarvel Phase 5flickGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, actively helped to get aBorderlandsfilm made. Indeed, development on the Blanchett-fronted movie actually started beforeGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1was released in 2014 but, after the MCU film series' unprecedented success, there was growing cause for optimism that there’s an audience for the long-gestatingBorderlandsfilm.
Speaking toIGN, Pitchford said: “I don’t think it [Guardians' popularity] hurt [our movie’s chances]. It’s funny, we started this process beforeGuardians, the films were made. And I actually did a thing once with James Gunn who wrote and directed theGuardiansmovies. And I don’t want to take him out of turn, but he knew about Borderlands. So I think there’s actually probably mutual influence and I think that’s awesome.
“I think the fact that that worked because I freaking love that movie and I love his tone and I love his vibe, and to whatever extentBorderlandsmade that easier to do there and kind of helped that, I think the fact thatGuardianswas successful made this even easier to get behind and do. But I will say I don’t think James' goal was to makeGuardianslikeBorderlands. And I don’t thinkBorderlands' goal is to makeBorderlandslikeGuardians.”
So, there you have it: even Pitchford admits there are comparisons to be made between the movies. Don’t let your friends tell you, then, that you’re silly for thinking likewise.
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As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
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