Jack Black is the latest a-lister to join Lionsgate and director Eli Roth’s feature adaptation of the bestselling videogame Borderlands. Black will voice the role of Claptrap, a persistently sarcastic robot that isn’t all that invested in the survival of his teammate.
The role reunites Black with his The House with a Clock in Its Walls co-star Cate Blanchett and Roth, who directed the 2018 fantasy film which took in $130 million worldwide. He’s also joining Kevin Hart and Jamie Lee Curtis.
“I am so excited to reunite with Jack, this time in the recording booth,” Roth commented. “Claptrap is the funniest character in the game, and Jack is perfect to bring him to the big screen.”
“We couldn’t have been more in sync with our filmmakers and casting executives as we approached this role,” said Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “It’s one of the biggest no-brainer casting decisions we’ve ever made. Everyone who’s ever played the game knows Jack is perfect for this part. We’re thrilled he will add his endless comic energy and voice to our film – he’ll bring so much to the movie.”
Two-time Emmy-winning screenwriter Craig Mazin penned the latest draft of the screenplay. It’s set in the distant future when four “vault hunters” travel to the distant planet Pandora to hunt down an alien vault rumored to contain advanced technology.
Avi Arad and Ari Arad are producing through their Arad Productions banner with Erik Feig of Picturestart. Exec producers are Randy Pitchford, EP of the Borderlands video game franchise and founder of Gearbox Entertainment, and Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of 2K parent Take-Two Interactive.
Black most recently reprised his role as Shelly Oberon in Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level, which made over $800 million at the worldwide box office. He stars in the upcoming animated film, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Adventure, from writer-director Richard Linklater.
Black is repped by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern
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