How Old Cate Blanchett’s Lilith Is Compared To Borderlands’ Video Game Character

Eli Roth’s adaptation of Borderlands has assembled an incredible cast, fronted by Cate Blanchett as Lilith, but how does the actor’s age compare with her video game counterpart? Since the dark days of Super Mario Bros or 2005’s Doom, video game adaptations have slowly been getting better. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies or HBO’s The Last of Us are recent examples of this uptick, and hopefully, the upcoming Borderlands movie will continue this trend.

This adapts the hit series from Gearbox Software, with the story following a group of treasure hunters searching for a mythical vault on the planet of Pandora. The cast of Borderlands is something special too, with Blanchett being joined by Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart and the voice of Jack Black as series mascot Claptrap. The Borderlands trailer makes it look like Roth and company have captured the look and tone of the games, and the presence of an acclaimed performer like Blanchett is likely to intrigue franchise newcomers.

Lilith Was 22 Years Old When The Borderlands Games Began

While Blanchett might not be a common sight in a sci-fi blockbuster, she looks like she’s having a lot of fun in the trailer. Just like the original Borderlands, Lilith is one of the main Vault Hunters, though it appears the film will dive deeper into her backstory than the games have. The character is also known as “The Firehawk,” thanks to her psionic powers; she’s pretty nifty with firearms too. Lilith was 22 years old in the original Borderlands game and would return for both sequels.

Borderlands 2 is set five years after the events of the original, with Lilith being 27 when the sequel opens, according to an official character profile released for the game (via Borderlands wiki). Borderlands 3 then shot ahead another seven years, bringing Lilith’s age up to 34. The ending of the third game suggests she won’t be returning for future entries, though given her importance to the saga, this feels unlikely. The fanbase for Lilith is only going to grow following the release of the movie adaptation too.

How Old Cate Blanchett Was When She Filmed Borderlands

Cate Blanchett was 51 years old when Borderlands began filming in April 2021, and would turn 52 during production. The film was the subject of reshoots, with Tim Miller taking over for Roth while the latter worked on his horror hit Thanksgiving. These reshoots are said to have taken place in the summer of 2022 when Blanchett would have been 53.

Related

The Borderlands Movie’s Scary Behind The Scenes Drama That Has Us Worried

Video game adaptations are already difficult to pull off, but the Borderlands movie has another challenge thanks to worrying behind the scenes drama.

Blanchett might be best known for acclaimed performances in dramas like Tar, but as she’s proven with Thor: Ragnarok, she’s happy to do genre work too. Blanchett likely signed on to the video game adaptation to work with Eli Roth again, as the two previously collaborated on 2018’s The House with a Clock in Its Walls; Jack Black also played a lead role in this fantasy adaptation. The actor is also a fan of horror and genre films, as can be heard in her podcast interview on Eli Roth’s History of Horror, which was recorded on the set of Borderlands.

Borderlands

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.

Director

Eli Roth

Release Date

August 9, 2024

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate

Writers

Eli Roth , Joe Crombie

Cast

Cate Blanchett , Kevin Hart , Jack Black , Ariana Greenblatt , Florian Munteanu , Jamie Lee Curtis , Edgar Ramirez , Gina Gershon

Franchise(s)

Borderlands