One of the most anticipated video game adaptations of the year just got an exciting new look. In a sit down with Total Film, which also revealed an exclusive image from the upcoming film, Borderlands writer and director Eli Roth talked about one of the biggest comparisons the movie has been drawing since the first trailers premiered online. It didn’t take long for fans to note that this ragtag band of five or six misfits that don’t seem to get along too well bears a strong resemblance to Marvel‘s Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Roth assures that he actively avoided making something that could draw such comparisons:

“There’s going to be similarities no matter what you do, just because of the nature of the subject matter. I was very conscious of not remaking Guardians. [Audiences will] see the movie, and they’ll see it’s different.”

While it’s hard to deny the comparisons based on pre-release footage, it’s unfair to chalk something like Borderlands up as another iteration of the Guardians two months before the film releases. The “band of misfits” trope doesn’t strictly belong to the Guardians of the Galaxy. Plenty of films throughout history have executed the concept without the Guardians comparisons, so it’s only fair to wait until Borderlands is released on August 9 to see the movie and find out firsthand if there’s any merit to the similarities.

Who Stars in ‘Borderlands’?

The Borderlands movie has quietly assembled one of the most impressive ensembles of 2024. Two-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett has been tapped to play the lead role of Lilith, fresh off receiving a nomination for her role as Lydia Tár in Tár. Alongside Blanchett stars Ariana Greenblatt, one of the biggest breakout performers of the last few years. After starring in Avengers: Infinity War, Greenblatt has since appeared in Barbie, Ahsoka, and 65 alongside Margot Robbie, Rosario Dawson, and Adam Driver. Jamie Lee Curtis, who recently won an Oscar for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, is also set to star as Tannis, with comedic legend Kevin Hart playing Roland. Although not appearing in physical form, Jack Black will lend his voice to the role of Claptrap, the lovable and quick-witted robot.

Borderlands arrives in theaters on August 9. Tickets for the film are not yet on sale, but you can watch Blanchett‘s most recent Oscar-nominated performance in Tár, streaming exclusively on Peacock.

via Collider