I’m cool with Jack, but…
Well, it’s come to this. The Borderlands movie was already going for star power with Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kevin Hart, but now it’s adding another Hollywood actor into the mix: Jack Black.
The Hollywood Reporter states that the El Roth-helmed film (red flags) will feature none other than Jack Black as Claptrap, the nervous robot companion. As the outlet points out, Black already worked with Blanchett on the (very alright) The House with a Clock in Its Walls, which criminally wasted Kyle MacLachlan.
There’s a lot to unpack here! Executive producer Randy Pitchford is clearly down with adding more star power into the mix, but the casting seems all over the place so far. We know David Eddings is likely out due to his beef with Gearbox, but Jim Foronda did a fantastic job of taking up the mantle in Borderlands 3. Claptrap is a relatively minor character and doesn’t even require an on-screen presence, so the decision to not bring Foronda back is a bit baffling.
I’m sure Jack Black will be fine, and I can even imagine his modulated robot yells right now. And voice actors getting replaced by Hollywood actors happens all the time. But the Borderlands film already has a “too many cooks” feel to it, and I don’t trust Eli Roth to deliver. This is a wait and see situation if I’ve ever seen one for a video game film.
Jack Black Joins Cate Blanchett in ‘Borderlands’ Movie [The Hollywood Reporter]
