Kevin Hart has closed a deal to star in a film adaptation of the popular Borderlands video game franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Prolific action-horror director Eli Roth will helm the project, and Chernobyl writer/creator Craig Mazin has written the script. Two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett is attached to star as thief Lilith.
Hart will play Roland, a role that is expected to mark an uncharacteristic dramatic action turn for the superstar comedian.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin Hart,” Roth said in a statement. “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.”
Hart has apparently been in negotiations his Borderlands deal for months, first reported by The Illuminerdi in December. Lionsgate is adapting the project.
The Borderlands franchise launched in 2009, to worldwide success and acclaim. The most recent iteration, Borderlands 3, dropped in September 2019. To date, the RPG series has sold nearly 70 million units, per THR.
It's not the first time Kevin Hart has tapped into the gaming space for a major movie franchise. The actor has co-starred in both Jumanji and Jumanji: The Next Level alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, in which his character plays a video game avatar.
Business is booming for Hart. He's wrapped production on two upcoming films — action-comedy Man From Toronto and the domestic drama Fatherhood — and recently released a comedy special, No F**s Given on Netflix and inked a massive deal with the streaming giant.
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