Cate Blanchett’s next big movie role is playing the space-outlaw Lilith in the Borderlands movie, which is based on the Gearbox video game. When Blanchett was announced for the film, many people had a lot to say about the two-time Oscar-winner joining the cast, and now the actress herself has revealed why she was drawn to the project. Speaking to Empire, Blanchett said she enjoys taking on roles that no one expects. Beyond that, she was eager to get out of the house due to COVID.
“The crazy asks are usually the things I gravitate towards; the things I could never conceive of,” she said. “I think there also may have been a little Covid madness–I was spending a lot of time in the garden, using the chainsaw a little too freely. My husband said, ‘This film could save your life.'”
Blanchett also revealed that she bought a PS5 to play the Borderlands games to help prepare for the role, though she admitted she’s a bit of a rookie when it comes to gaming.
“My thumbs can barely control a phone… I wanted to know the limits of the game and what fans loved about the character. I got really absorbed in that whole world. The cosplayers. The YouTube make-up tutorials,” she said.
The Borderlands movie is directed by Eli Roth, who previously directed Blanchett in The House With A Clock In Its Walls (which also features Borderlands actor Jack Black). “You’ve seen her twirl a baton, but wait until you see her twirl a gun,” Roth said, referencing her Oscar-nominated role in Tar.
Blanchett won Oscars for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine. She’s also known for her role as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings film series, while her performances in Tar, Carol, Elizabeth, and I’m Not There earned her acclaim and Academy Award nominations.
In addition to Blanchett and Black, the Borderlands film stars Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, and Gina Gershon.
