Summary
Borderlandsfollows the infamous outlaw Lilith (Cate Blanchett) as she reluctantly returns to her home world of Pandora to find a missing girl - Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt). It doesn’t take long before she forms an unexpected alliance with other misfits that she discovers along the way. Together, they must thwart an evil that threatens to destroy life as they know it.
TheBorderlandsvideo games have a very recognizable aesthetic that was important to carry through to the movie. As with most video game adaptations, the film only loosely follows the story of the games. However, it has been clear since the first trailer release that the production design is spot on in terms of recreating the look and feel of the popular gaming franchise. Borderlands hits theaters on August 9th and if it does well enough, fans can expectBorderlands 2,which would introduce more beloved characters.
The Borderlands Movie: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know
Here’s everything we know about Eli Roth’s upcoming sci-fi comedy Borderlands, an adaptation of Gearbox Software’s eponymous video game.
Screen Rantspoke withBorderlandsProduction Designer Andrew Menzies to discuss the inspiration that he pulled from the games when working on the production design for the film. He talks about how his art background helped when working on the movie, his biggest challenge, and the fact that there are a lot of Easter Eggs included. Andrew also gives a little bit of details about his upcoming Marvel project,Ironheart.
Borderlands Production Designer Andrew Menzies Was Inspired By The Aesthetic Of The Game
Screen Rant: What originally drew you to want to work onBorderlands?
Andrew Menzies: I’m always excited to try something I haven’t done before and Borderlands really ticked that box. I choose projects for what I think can challenge me and what I can bring to the table, creatively. I have to be excited by the project and feel I can contribute. And, this is how I felt when I read the script to Borderlands and saw the visuals of the game.
Screen Rant: Watching the movie, I felt like I was stepping into the video games. Incredible job. Did you play the games at all?
Andrew Menzies: I play games with my son, like Fortnite, but we hadn’t played Borderlands. However, literally while I was on the call with my agents about the film, I was searching for images on the internet and I immediately understood the very distinct aesthetic of the game and was excited by the thought of translating this look into a live action movie. Right away I started playing the game and continued to play the game, every weekend, throughout the making of the film. Always looking for inspiration and Easter eggs.
Screen Rant: What were the biggest inspirations you took from the world of the Borderlands video games?
Andrew Menzies: I was most inspired by the playfulness of the aesthetics. There’s a lot of humor embedded in the game. Especially in the graphics and in the characters but also in the colors of the game’s environments.
“There Are Lots Of Easter Eggs!” For Fans To Point Out
Screen Rant: Was there something you knew you had to include in the sets?
Andrew Menzies: It was really making sure we maintained the right tone in our sets that reflects the tone in the game. This was very important to Eli and the other key film makers. I was aware that our sets could influence the actor’s performances so it was important to get our mood and tone just right with the colorfulness and humor but keeping that sense of dystopian doom looming in the background.
Screen Rant: It seems like there are a lot of Easter Eggs in this movie. Is there anything placed on a set in the background that fans may not catch?
Andrew Menzies: Yes, there’s a lot of Easter eggs. In fact, we had someone in our department working for several weeks digging deep for Easter eggs, going through Borderland Forums, reaching out to the game makers, playing the game, searching for these eggs and working out ways to get them in our film. Most of them are in the graphic layering but also in the dressing of sets, especially in Sanctuary City and Tannis’s home. One has to pay close attention to the signs and paperwork particularly to see them, but I’ll leave it to the fans to discover!
Krom’s Canyon Was The Biggest Challenge
Screen Rant: What was your biggest challenge onBorderlands?
Andrew Menzies: For me, the biggest challenge was working through the ideas for Krom’s Canyon, the big set piece for the third act. Not only was it a challenge coming up with the concept with my team but working through the complexity of how it works for the action. It had to be original and provide a playground for the action. It was a challenge for almost every department as the concept was decided on late in production and then getting the action worked out and set built in time was a challenge. Luckily it had two world class art directors on it, Zsuzsi Kismarty and Karl Probert who managed it to fruition. And, the final layers were added by an Oscar winning decorator, Zsuzsanna Sipos.
I’m excited to see how it plays out in the film. On that note, I just wanted to say, this was an unusual movie for me and my crew to work on and all stepped up out of their comfort zone to deliver this unusual project. I was very lucky to have an excellent crew to work through all the layering on these sets. More than any other project I’ve worked on, these sets had many layers and they all had to be true to the game. I’ve not watched the film but in the trailer I can see all the additional layers added by many creative crew members on set and in post and I’m really excited to see how it all comes together in the movie.
Andrew Menzies Was Most Excited To World Build
Screen Rant: What were you most excited to create when planning Borderlands?
Andrew Menzies: I think it’s always exciting to world build, even when the world is laid out in the game. But, there’s still challenges bringing that world into a live action film for a budget and to serve all the storytelling needs. However, the set I most enjoyed doing was Tannis’s Home as it was one of the last sets we did and it was very much a collaborative effort with all my crew, from the PA’s to the art directors working on the set making it all it can be. Also, it was a pleasure seeing how Jamie Lee Curtis, playing Tannis, loved the set. She took the time to write a page long letter to the art department, thanking us for how the set inspired her and how she appreciated our efforts putting her set together. It will be a letter I will treasure.
Andrew’s Art Background Helped Him Hone His Craft
Screen Rant: How has your art background helped you in the role of production designer?
Andrew Menzies: For me, it’s been important to learn my craft from the ground up. I’ve always been a person that gets my confidence from experience and knowledge and I wouldn’t have had the bravado to miss any of the steps. I did many years as a set designer, then to assistant art director, on to art directing to designing. I even turned down several design offers, when I was an art director as I felt I wasn’t ready. There is a lot to know to design sets from construction methods, to paint techniques, to history, and how to make sets work for filming. It’s never ending and the more experience you have the better you’ll be at your craft.
Also, I was so very lucky to have excellent mentors, such as Patrizia von Brandenstein and Rick Carter. The art department, more than any other department, has to have a good understanding of almost all other department, like direction, camera, stunts, lighting, visual FX, special FX and sound, etc. as we are thinking about the sets sometimes months before anyone else is so we have to make sure their requirements are built into the set design. That knowledge comes from years of learning. As the industry evolves and every project has different challenges you never stop learning.
Borderlands Is “One Of The Most Collaborative Films” Andrew Has Ever Worked On
Screen Rant: Eli Roth is a great director. What was your collaboration with him like?
Andrew Menzies: Eli is a great Director to work with. He’s very approachable. He had a clear vision for the movie which made it very easy to get into step with him. He knows what he is looking at and is quick to give clear notes. If it’s not what he’s looking for he concisely articulates what he wants. And, if he’s not ready to decide, he’s not too proud to let you know. But, generally he knows exactly what he wants and is clear in communicating that. It really helped the process go smoothly for the art department.
Screen Rant: How about your collaboration with the whole team, including costumes, hair, and makeup?
Andrew Menzies: I think it was one of the most collaborative films I’ve ever worked on. I see all the layers and contributions by all departments in every frame. It’s impressive the amount of work done by everyone to build the world of Borderlands.
Working On Marvel’s Ironheart Is “New and Exciting”
Screen Rant: I am very excited for your upcoming projectIronheart. Is there anything you’re able to tease about the production design for that series? What was your biggest challenge or greatest reward?
Andrew Menzies: Me too! I really enjoyed working on Ironheart. It was great getting a peak behind the curtain of Marvel’s process. Also, working with two directors and doing a mini-series! All three things I hadn’t done before so not only were these my biggest “challenges,” but it was a new and exciting experience for me. I think there’s some cool set pieces that I’ve never done before, which I’m excited to see in the series. I also love that it’s set in Chicago, one of my favorite cities!
About Borderlands
Returning to her home planet, an infamous outlaw forms an unexpected alliance with a team of unlikely heroes. Together, they battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find a missing girl who holds the key to unimaginable power.
Borderlands
Cast
Based on the video game franchise, Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy film that follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet, Pandora, to find a tycoon’s missing daughter. Together with a group of unlikely allies, such as a soldier, a teenaged demolitions expert, a wise-cracking robot, and an eccentric scientist, the group will work together to save the girl - all while learning to deal with each other’s unyielding quirks.
