Lionsgate's upcoming movie adaptation of the Borderlands series will feature the Tenacious D, School of Rock and Jablinski Games star Jack Black as the talkative Hyperion robot Claptrap.
According to Variety, he'll be joined by a bunch of other "A-list" actors including Cate Blanchett (Lilith), Kevin Hart (Roland) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Tannis). The film will be directed by Eli Roth, who previously worked with both Black and Blanchett on The House With a Clock in Its Walls.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president said choosing Black for the role was a "no-brainer":
“one of the biggest no-brainer casting decisions we’ve ever made.”
“We couldn’t have been more in sync with our filmmakers and casting executives as we approached this role. 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.”
Although it's a "crushing disappointment" to miss out on the role, the original voice of Claptrap, Jim Foronda, has also congratulated Jack Black via Twitter. He added how he would continue to voice Claptrap on "computers and consoles".
"I can't lie— It's a crushing disappointment. I'd thought about possibly being in the movie for years. I love Borderlands. I love Claptrap. It's absolute joy to be his voice for the games. Congratulations, Jack Black, I know you must love him too. Please take good care of him."
"Please don't be mean to the folks at @GearboxOfficial. There are other producers and investors, and there are big budgets riding on this thing. This is just what acting is— sometimes things don't happen. I'm still Clappy on computers and consoles and there's more to come there!"
Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick will oversee the film as executive producers.
So, what are your thoughts about Jack Black voicing Claptrap in a Borderlands movie? Leave a comment down below.
[source variety.com]
Comments 38
Well I was interested in this movie. Now I am not.
I like Jack Black. I just think everything about Borderlands apart from the gameplay is abysmal. A movie of it is pretty much my idea of hell.
Jack Black as Claptrap?
I love me some Jack Black but this casting is one Dwayne Johnson away from being Jumanji 4
@PBandSmelly Jack Black has no business doing movies at all.
Hmm not saying the choice is bad, but could they not just ts use the voice actor from the game since it an animated character
@Arnold-Kage I don't think they plan on paying a voice actor that Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford himself assaulted.
He better not forget his octagon this time.
A bordalands movie? OH NO GOD NO NOT Again!!!
@MantaPloc
Hmmm and why did the ceo attack him?
“one of the biggest no-brainer casting decisions we’ve ever made.”
Except for picking the actual voice actor of the already established character right? ... Right?
Original voice of claptrap?... David Eddings! Will always be claptrap to me. Borderlands 3 voice sounds off to me. Also Jack Black is going to butcher this. I had such low expectations for the movie. Seems they keep getting lower and lower.
Why can’t Hollywood leave games alone ?
Suits him perfectly. Would never dream of watching it.
That's.....a choice.
Please don't let this movie be live action...
Also this is a good role for Jack Black so I'm looking forward to his performance.
Another day another racist casting. Why isn’t a robot playing a robot character, this is just another Resident Evil debacle! ;p
Why Jack Black? Why not the guy who voiced Claptrap in the games?
The casting for this movie is puzzling. Kevin Hart would be better as Claptrap than as Roland. I still prefer Claptrap's original voice, though. Is Handsome Jack the movie villain?
@Arnold-Kage Why does Randy do drugs with his hands tied behind his back in the bathroom? Why does he tweet videos of animal abuse & laugh about it? Why does he leave a USB-Drive filled with underage P*rn & company secrets at a Medieval Times convention?
At some point you just say: It's Randy, that's who he is. Keep your kids away from him.
I used to love jack black and tenacious d. Now watching his career just makes me sad.
Why wouldn't you just have Jim Foronda play him? I can understand Hollywood recasts for live-action characters, but imagining Charles Martinet being sidelined for someone else to play Mario is absurd.
@MantaPloc
Ahh the guy is not all right upstairs then. I don't really keep up to date on what the ceo do of companies that I ain't that interested in.
Just knew who claptrap was, and found it odd they would hire an expensive celeb over the person who voiced the character in the game
@nukatha Probably since the role was recasted in the video games in the recent one. Plus, maybe the guy who did it in Borderlands 3 didn't want to do a movie. There's no way Gearbox would allow the original voice actor near it.
@nukatha
Could have seen them maybe cast Lou Albano from the TV show if he were still alive, but that's it. If it ain't the voice actor then I wonder what is up
@nessisonett I agree 100%! I'll go a step further and declare my distaste for the gameplay as well. I have major regret buying the collection on the Switch.
I owned the original way back on the 360 but gave up on it very quickly. I let my son talk me into picking the collection up on the Switch only to be reminded why I gave up on the original so quickly. It's just not fun, the characters are unlikable, the story is blah, and in my opinion, the gameplay is a repetitive chore.
Whats Jablin Jables
@Cromwell because money
@jump is that a joke?
Anyways l think he can do the voice. They're going to make the voice sound like a robot ofc, like change it to sound like one. But if not then oh well.
Movies about games are usually trash. I doubt this will be different.
ClapTrap is the Dragon Warrior, he knows the wushi finger hold
Jack Black is a solid choice though I’m not sure about Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, hopefully she’ll surprise me.
While I think Black is the ideal A-list celebrity for the character (thank goodness it's not Carey).....though I wish Robin Williams were alive to do the role if they needed an A-lister and Pitchford could afford him, he was Claptrap IRL!
But I also don't understand the need to recast characters that already have actors identified with them, in films, simply to add celebrity appeal. It's like painting a Stradivarius violin in gold fleck because "people like sparkly colors." To me it messes up continuity when there's different voices per adaptation and no actor consistency. It make one feel like the cheap imitation. It's like getting "Wooden Block Tower Game" instead of "Jenga" on Christmas morning.
OTOH, Foronda himself is new to the role, isn't he? I thought he replaced the Claptrap from the previous games only in 3. So it's not like he's identified with the role the same way Hayter is with Snake.
I'm torn: I love Jack Black but I always hate seeing longtime established character voice actors get snubbed in favor of a marketable name. Guess that's Hollywood for you.
@nessisonett LOL. My thoughts exactly. Remove the "humor" and you've got a near perfect series.
I don't begrudge the man's long and lucrative career, but I cannot stand Jack Black.
@ItsOKToBeOK I am expecting the news that he will play either Brick or Krieg (or gods forbid, Torgue) any day now.
@Gamer_Griff it sounds like they're adapting the first game which makes it really weird that all the actors revealed thus far are a decade or three too old for their corresponding characters. Jack was just bobody at that point, though I won't be surprised if they throw him into the plot to make the transition to 2 make more sense. They ended up having to make a whole new game to explain his sudden appearance, remember?
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