UPDATED 2/11, 1:45 p.m. ET: Jack Black is joining Kevin Hart in the film version of Borderlands, per The Hollywood Reporter. He’ll voice the sarcastic robot Claptrap. Jamie Lee Curtis and Cate Blanchett also star.
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The Borderlands movie moved one step closer to reality, casting another one of its four Vault Hunters. Kevin Hart is onboard to play Roland, a soldier on the hunt for vast riches on the abandoned planet.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hart had been in talks with Lionsgate for months about the role. He’s worked on video game adaptations before, most notably in two sequels in the Jumanji reboot. Roland will be a marked departure from his previous roles, however, as the soldier’s story is purely dramatic.
Director Eli Roth said he was happy to give the megastar comedian the space to try something new.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin,” Roth shared. “Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they’ve never seen before. He’s going to be an amazing Roland.”
Two of the series’ four Vault Hunters have been cast, with Cate Blanchett in the lead role of Lilith. Lionsgate seems to be assembling quite a bit of talent for a big swing at a video game that’s already proven prone to sequels. The film has been in the works for more than half a decade. Lionsgate President Nathan Kahane was happy to bring Hart on board.
“Kevin has been behind some of the world’s biggest blockbusters, and our source material is inspired by one of the world’s best-selling video games,” he said in a statement. “We love the way our filmmaking team has adapted this story and we couldn’t be in better creative hands.”
