The Borderlands movie has been in the works for a half-decade already, and it's still just getting started. But it crossed a major milestone recently when Gearbox announced that Hostel director Eli Roth had come aboard to direct the video game adaptation.
Roth appeared at the Gearbox PAX East panel today in Boston--he grew up in Newton--where he reacted to joining the movie and shared some new insight. In particular, he revealed that he wants to cast cosplayers in the movie, and then do terrible things to them.
Starting off, though, he did his best Boston accent. You really need to watch the full video for the complete effect, but here's what he said: "Dude, it's f**king wicked awesome to be here. I got f**king wicked hammered last night, went to Dunkies this morning, had like four cruellers, I'm like wicked wired right now."
Regarding the Borderlands movie, Roth said his partnership with Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford--who is a producer on the movie--and the other creative partners is like a "mad, insane family."
As announced previously, the Borderlands movie is being written by Craig Mazin, who wrote the comedies The Hangover 2 and 3 before moving to more serious fare with HBO's Chernobyl. Spider-Man veterans Avi and Ari Arad are also producing.
Roth stressed that it is only very early days for the Borderlands movie. "I'm so excited to do something. I think the movie is going to be great. We're just getting started, so there is nothing to share yet," he said.
Roth did say that he is creatively energized by seeing Borderlands cosplayers at PAX. What's more, he said he hopes to be able to cast some of the best Borderlands cosplayers as extras who will be horrifically slaughtered in the movie. He hopes to give them "awful deaths" which is right up Roth's gore-minded alley with Hostel and Cabin Fever.
"It's going to be a long road before we get there, but there's no better way to kick it off [than being here at PAX]," Roth said.
In addition to his directing credits, Roth played Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds.
Gearbox also announced a new expansion for Borderlands 3, "Guns, Love, And Tentacles,"--and revealed its DLC roadmap through May. Additionally, Borderlands 3 is coming to Steam soon, ending its exclusivity on the Epic Games Store.