Kevin Hart is joining the Borderlands movie as the skilled soldier Roland, Lionsgate has announced, opposite Cate Blanchett as the legendary thief Lilith who was cast back in May last year. Hart is best known for his comedic chops, with his most notable acting role being the two Jumanji sequels. With Borderlands, Hart will take on a much more dramatic role. Eli Roth (Hostel) is set as director — he joined last February — on the Borderlands movie, whose screenplay comes from Emmy-winner Craig Mazin (Chernobyl).
The Hollywood Reporter brought word of Lionsgate’s official announcement, revealing that Hart had been in negotiations for months before signing a deal to star in Borderlands.
In a prepared statement, Roth said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin. Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they’ve never seen before. He’s going to be an amazing Roland.”
“Kevin has been behind some of the world’s biggest blockbusters, and our source material is inspired by one of the world’s best-selling video games,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane added. “We love the way our filmmaking team has adapted this story, and we couldn’t be in better creative hands.”