Blanchett, Hart, and Curtis lead a dynamic cast in Newton director Eli Roth’s latest film, releasing August 9.
By Dana Barbuto/Boston Movie News

Newton native and splatter-movie king Eli Roth (“Hostel,” “Cabin Fever”) directs Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”) and comedian Kevin Hart (“Central Intelligence”) in the sci-fi adventure comedy “Borderlands.” Based on the video game of the same name, the movie hits theaters on August 9. Although it departs from Roth’s typical jump scares and maniacal slashers, Roth assures in an interview from the film’s press kit that the movie is still bonkers and a full-blown immersion into the world of Borderlands with crazy action, humor, and high-stakes drama.

“There’s no green screen, there’s no wires. These are the actors really doing this with stunt people taking hits and falls, everyone getting rocked, everyone getting slammed into crates, everyone jumping and shooting, and it’s breathtaking,” Roth shared.

Newton native Eli Roth directed and co-wrote "Borderlands." (Katalin Vermes photo)
Newton native Eli Roth directed and co-wrote “Borderlands.” (Katalin Vermes photo)

In the movie, Blanchett plays the fiery-haired, gun-slinging bounty hunter Lilith, who joins forces with a ragtag crew to search for the missing daughter of the most powerful man (Edgar Ramírez) on the planet Pandora (no relation to “Avatar”). Hart plays against type as the deadly mercenary Roland, who, Roth said, takes out at least 50 bad guys in one sequence. “We’ve never seen Kevin Hart kill anyone before,” he said, adding that the actor had gone through intense weapons training for the role. “He worked with military advisors and really got his shooting sharp.”

Rounding out the main cast, horror movie icon Jamie Lee Curtis, an Oscar-winner for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” plays the neurodivergent scientist Dr. Tannis. Newcomer Ariana Greenblatt plays Tiny Tina, a teenage explosives expert, and Jack Black lends his voice to the droid Claptrap. 

Roth, a Newton South grad, previously collaborated with Blanchett and Black on the family-friendly supernatural romp “The House With a Clock in Its Walls.” As an actor, he is best known for starring as Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino’s World War II film “Inglourious Basterds” (2009).

“Borderlands” was filmed in Budapest in 2021, and Roth, who co-wrote the script, said he is excited for audiences to see the movie. “They’re going to love seeing Cate Blanchett fighting psychos,” he said.

Editor’s note: James Verniere will review “Borderlands” for Boston Movie News, but the studio is not screening it in advance for Boston critics.  We’ll post our take on the day of the opening.