Lionsgate Announces 'Borderlands' Film In Development, Eli Roth Set To Direct

KEY POINTS

Lionsgate announced Avi and Ari Arad would serve as executive producers on the film along with Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick and Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford
Eli Roth was announced as the director attached to the film, citing his own history with Lionsgate as a reason for joining
"Borderlands" is the latest video game franchise being adapted to film along with popular series like "Mortal Kombat" and "Uncharted"

Lionsgate announced Thursday it’s developing a film based on the hit video game series “Borderlands,” with Eli Roth set to direct.

Roth will be joining the project currently in development under producers Avi and Ari Arad, best known for their work on the early comic book movies like 1999’s “X-Men” and 2002’s “Spider-Man.” Take-Two President and CEO Strauss Zelnick and Gearbox Software President and CEO Randy Pitchford are also attached as executive producers.

Picturestart founder Erik Feig is directly overseeing development and Craig Mazin is working on the latest draft of the script.

“I'm so excited to dive into the world of ‘Borderlands’ and I could not be doing it with a better script, producing team, and studio,” Roth said in a statement. “I have a long, successful history with Lionsgate – I feel like we have grown up together and that everything in my directing career has led to a project of this scale and ambition.”

“Borderlands” is the latest video game franchise Hollywood is bringing to the big screen.

The franchise follows various Vault Hunters on the distant planet of Pandora as they search for mysterious alien vaults rumored to contain vast treasures and power. “Borderlands 3” was released on Sept. 13 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC to positive reviews and was the fastest-selling entry in the series with 5 million units sold in its first week.

“With Eli's vision and Craig's screenplay, we believe we have cracked the code on bringing the anarchic world of Borderlands to the big screen in a big way that will be a fresh, compelling and cinematic event for moviegoers and fans of the game,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President Nathan Kahane said in a statement.

Other video game adaptations in development or production include “Uncharted,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Tomb Raider 2,” “Rainbow Six,” and “The Division.”