Yup. That’s right. Jack Black & Borderlands Movie are happening right now. And fans of the comedic actor (myself included) cannot be happier.
As you may already know, The Borderlands movie is currently in development. And yes, I already wrote about Cate Blanchett’s career, since she will tackle the role of Lillith. But now it’s time for another great actor and another iconic role from the very same franchise. The one and only… Jack Black.
What About The Game Series Itself?
Well, as you can probably tell by now, it’s awesome. Developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K, Borderlands is one hell of a game series. Furthermore, it’s available for purchase here at IndieGala, and yes. It’s on sale too. Furthermore, it’s a fantastic first-person looter shooter, set in an open world that deserves your time and attention. And since the first Borderlands game in 2009, it quickly became one of the most beloved game series in existence. Not to mention, one of the bestselling ones too. But with that in mind. What to expect from the upcoming movie? Don’t you worry about that. I’ll cover both the movie and Jack Black as well in this post. So… Without further ado…
Jack Black & Borderlands Movie: A Match Made In Heaven?
Before I could possibly go any further and introduce the beloved comedic actor… Let’s take a closer look at the movie adaptation. Shall we? First of all, the director behind the Borderlands movie is Eli Roth. A master of Horror and suspense, who just recently directed both Black and Blanchett. In The House with a Clock in Its Walls no less. So, it’s safe to assume that both of them will be great once again. But this particular adaptation has been in the works since 2015. And multiple cast and crew changed before Lionsgate settled on this cast and crew.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford and Take-Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnick will serve as executive producers on the movie. Ari Arad and Erik Feig will serve as producers, and of course Eli Roth as director. While Aaron Berg and Craig Mazin are selected as two of the screenwriters for the movie.
But what about the cast. Well aside from Cate and Jack in the roles of Lilith and Claptrap, Jamie Lee Curtis is also part of the cast. The veteran actress will play Tannis, while the comedian Kevin Hart will portray Roland. I’ll make sure to devote an entire post for Mr. Hart, so YOU make sure to stay tuned for that.
Jack Black & Borderlands Movie: Who Is Claptrap?
Or should I say, what is Claptrap?
Claptrap is a CL4P-TP general purpose robot manufactured by Hyperion. It has a program that makes his overenthusiastic personality shine through. Oh and he brags frequently too. And yet also expresses severe loneliness and cowardice. Yes, he’s a snarky robot, and the casting of Jack makes a lot of sense.
But, in all honesty, Claptrap is not one of the most beloved characters in the game series. He’s the Jar Jar Binks of Borderlands, and yes. He’s also annoying and abrasive, and one of the characters with the worst reviews in the series. But yeah. He’s been an annoying presence in Borderlands 1,2,3 and various other DLC’s. However, in a non-Borderlands-related media, he was in Fortnite as part of a mini-game. So, yeah. Claptrap is not the most admired character. But how about Jack Black?
Who Is Jack Black?
Well, Black is the exact opposite. A beloved comedic actor that can deliver a dramatic performance, when given the opportunity. He’s also very energetic, and with highly expressive eyes. Not to mention, he’s one of the most passionate gamers in entire Hollywood. Hey, he even has his own YouTube channel in which he brags about his recent gameplays. Check it out. He’s good. But did you know that he’s also a great musician? Indeed. He’s a great singer and is also part of the rock band Tenacious D alongside friend and collaborator Kyle Gass.
Actor, Musician, Gamer…
He’s many things indeed. But for now, I’ll focus more on his acting career. He’s been acting steadily since the early ’90s. And during that time he graced the screen in plenty of great movies. From his silver screen debut in Bob Roberts to Airbone and Demolition Man. But he had small parts in some of the most iconic 90’s movies too. Waterworld, Dead Man Walking, Cable Guy, Mars Attacks, The Jackal, Enemy Of The State are some of them. However, his actual big break in Hollywood came with the fantastic High Fidelity. Jack was unhinged (in a good way), and yeah. Stole the show (or the movie) from everyone. But what followed next is the true key to his immense talent. School Of Rock followed and yes, he was awesome again. The man shined in School Of Rock and the movie got him his first Golden Globe nomination. Deservingly so I might add.
Nacho Libre followed and of course, the romantic comedy The Holliday. To be honest, The Holliday is cheesy and corny, but it’s actually one of the rom-com I can stomach. Mostly because of him, Kate Winslett and Eli Wallach. I adore Wallach sooo much.
Tropic Thunder Is Awesome To This Day (And Jack In It Too)
I don’t know (I really don’t) why but in my circle of friends and family Tropic Thunder is not a well-regarded movie. Which is nonsense, because not only the movie is great. Sorry not sorry about that. But Jack Black is great in it too. I stand by it even today, and yes. It’s one of those movies that I spent years defending unsuccessfully I’m affraid. But to be perfectly honest as much as I love his comedies (Jumanji, Be Kind Rewind, Year One and Kung Fu Panda) I think he can pull off a decent dramatic role every now and again… But yeah. He’s great in black comedy movies too. And in movies with more darker tones. Movies like Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, or Bernie. He was so good in Bernie, don’t you think?
Jack Black & Borderlands Movie: Is He A Good Choice For Claptrap?
I think so yeah. I think that Jack will do the character some justice. Since he already did a lot of voice-over for plenty of animated movies. But speaking of the gaming side I mentioned earlier, he’s been a part of plenty of video games too. Brütal Legend, Broken Age, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 and will see him in Psychonauts 2 too. I think Jack will find the true voice here and will nail the character as well.
But I’d also would love to know your opinion on this casting decision. Is Jack Black a good choice for Claptrap? How about the movie itself? Will this game adaptation be any good? Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know all about it. Oh and the meantime… Please enjoy this video. Jack crushing Borderlands 3.
