Creating a film based on a beloved franchise is tricky business. No matter what the approach, there will always be fans who disapprove. Such is the case with the upcoming film adaptation of the video game Borderlands, which will fall victim to the classic issue of a passionate fanbase that simply pictured a different type of big screen take. We’ve already heard the backlash surrounding the film’s rating, but perhaps the loudest disapproval pre-release has come from fans who simply cannot picture Kevin Hart as the soldier Roland, a popular character from the games. Well, it seems that Hart’s co-star has the same reservations, but promises you simply have to see it to believe it.
Florian Munteanu seems over the moon to be playing Borderlands’ iconic psychopath, Krieg. This is because Munteanu himself is a huge fan of the games, so much so that even he had to do a double take at Kevin Hart’s casting as Roland. He said this:
I was happy to be in a movie with Kevin Hart, but then on the other side, I knew the game. I knew the role that Kevin was playing, and I'm not gonna lie, I had a little bit of doubts as well. You know, just because Roland is a very stoic and big soldier who is known for his fighting skills. Kevin is just known for something else. But that's the beauty about acting, you know, and that's the beauty about such talented people. They are able to step out of their usual character.
Florian Munteanu is a professional boxer who recently came up in Hollywood through playing hulking characters such as the Creed franchise’s Viktor Drago and Shang-Chi’s sword-armed villain Razor Fist. Given the fact that he himself is a big guy, it would make sense that he had similar expectations for one of his favorite characters, Roland. However, he admires that Kevin Hart put in the work, and certainly came around on the casting. He continued:
He trained with Navy SEALs for two or three months. He got all his fighting down. He did all his stunts by himself, which I obviously admire because I do all my stunts by myself. And then having a guy like him, and seeing that as well kind of inspires and motivates you. I think he will surprise a lot of people with this role.
Kevin Hart was absolutely stoked when his casting was announced, and the comedian is known for his intense workout commitment, so he clearly had no intention of phoning it in. And let’s not forget that Hart turned down the opportunity to play Santa in last year’s Dashing Through The Snow, so he’s clearly not taking on any old role just for the paycheck. In the early stages of Borderlands’ development he called the project “amazing,” and he won Florian over, so now it’s time to see if he’ll have the same effect on audiences at large!
While the film’s casting may be peculiar to some, said cast sure is stacked! It’s why Jamie Lee Curtis signed on in the first place, and Jack Black teased fans that he was “on fuego” in the role. With Cate Blanchett and Ariana Greenblatt also on board, and Eli Roth directing, where could they go wrong? Fans can see the film for themselves when it’s released this Friday, August 9. As for every other movie release coming our way in 2024, keep it here at CinemaBlend for the latest news.
