Hey Minions! Stay awhile, and listen. Oh god, please — PLEASE! — stay awhile. Jack Black is joining the cast of Lionsgate and Eli Roth's feature adaptation of the bestselling videogame Borderlands. Are you ready for this? Black will voice the role of Claptrap, the wisecracking, persistently annoying robot that loves to think he's your boss and best friend.
The role reunites Black with his The House with a Clock in Its Walls co-star Cate Blanchett and Roth, who directed the 2018 fantasy film. The part also finds Black starring alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Hart for the video game adaptation, who will star as Dr. Tannis and Roland, respectively. meanwhile, Blanchett will assume the role of Lilith, a "Siren" of the Borderlands, who comes equipped with a silver tongue, an attitude to match, and a longing to blow holes in the faces of every enemy she encounters. She also uses her superhuman powers to gain an edge over those who stand in her way.
“I am so excited to reunite with Jack, this time in the recording booth,” Roth commented. “Claptrap is the funniest character in the game, and Jack is perfect to bring him to the big screen.”
“We couldn’t have been more in sync with our filmmakers and casting executives as we approached this role,” said Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “It’s one of the biggest no-brainer casting decisions we’ve ever made. Everyone who’s ever played the game knows Jack is perfect for this part. We’re thrilled he will add his endless comic energy and voice to our film – he’ll bring so much to the movie.”
Based on the best-selling PC and console gaming experience from developer Gearbox Software and publisher 2K, a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., "Borderlands” has sold more than 66 million units sold worldwide, including over 24 million units of “Borderlands 2,” which is the highest-selling title in the history of 2K. The most recent installment, “Borderlands 3,” which launched in September 2019 and was recently released for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, has sold-in more than 11 million units worldwide and was honored with the award for Best Multiplayer Game at Gamescom 2019 and Best Ongoing Game at Gamescom 2020.
Well, I'll be damned! Raise your horns and whip up a big ol' bowl of weed because this is a brilliant casting choice! Up until this point, I'd been wondering who Roth would get to voice the most irksome robot in all of Borderlands, and now here we are with Black taking on the role. Shi*t. This movie had better be good. It would be a shame to assemble this much star power for another mediocre video game adaptation. I'll tell you this much. My fingers are officially crossed for this movie to hit the scene as a major ass-kicker. It's certainly got the talent, and we still have so many characters to go. Who do you think Roth will cast as Handsome Jack? Or Tiny Tina for that matter? Inquiring minds want to know!