The co-creator of The Last of Us TV series, Craig Mazin, has made the decision to remove his name from the long-awaited Borderlands movie. According to the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) website and verified by World of Reel, Eli Roth and Joe Crombie (a pseudonym for Mazin) are currently credited as the writers for the film, indicating Mazin’s desire to disassociate himself from the project. The film adaptation of the popular Gearbox looter-shooter has encountered numerous obstacles, such as an unsatisfactory test screening in November that prompted Lionsgate to order additional work on the movie.
Mazin’s decision to adopt a pseudonym comes at a time when he is highly sought after in Hollywood. He recently achieved critical acclaim for his work on HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation, following his success with the Chernobyl miniseries. Given the reported post-production difficulties, which resulted in Deadpool director Tim Miller replacing Eli Roth in January for reshoots, it is understandable that Mazin would want to protect his reputation. There were even reports of Sam Levinson, creator of Euphoria and The Idol (which received poor reviews), being hired as a writer at one point. Borderlands filming commenced in 2021 and featured a star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett as Siren Lilith, Kevin Hart as soldier Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as researcher Dr. Patricia Tannis, and Jack Black as robot Claptrap.
First-look images of the cast’s silhouettes were released in mid-2021, but there has been limited information about the film since then. With Tim Miller taking over as director, Zak Olkewicz (known for Bullet Train) was brought in to write new pages for the Borderlands movie. A total of seven writers, including Levinson and Olkewicz, Aaron Berg, Oren Uziel, Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, and Chris Bremner, were involved in revising the script. The official website for the Borderlands movie has not been updated to reflect Mazin’s departure, still listing him as a writer alongside Eli Roth as the director.
According to Lionsgate’s official synopsis, Borderlands primarily follows Lilith (played by Cate Blanchett), a notorious outlaw who returns to her home planet of Pandora in search of the missing daughter of the universe’s most powerful figure, Atlas (played by Édgar Ramírez). To accomplish her mission, Lilith assembles a team of misfits, including former elite mercenary Roland, demonic specialist Tiny Tina, and talkative robot Claptrap. Together, they must confront alien creatures, bandits, and psychopaths, turning their initial assignment into a battle to save the world.
In other news, Neil Druckmann, Mazin’s partner on The Last of Us series, will assume the role of President at Naughty Dog (the developers of the Uncharted and TLOU games) by the end of the year. Co-president Evan Wells has chosen to retire after serving 25 years at the company. Wells stated in a blog post, “I’ve been discussing this decision with Naughty Dog’s Studio Leadership Team for over a year, and with Neil for even longer. The decision evokes a mix of overwhelming and conflicting emotions, but I am at peace with my time at the studio and all that we have accomplished together in the last 25 years. I have every confidence that Neil will continue running the studio successfully. It is the right time for me to provide him and the other members of the Studio Leadership Team with the opportunity to steer the studio toward a prosperous future.”
There is currently no release date for the Borderlands movie.
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Basant Kasayap is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Bollywood to regional cinema, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
