The news of a Borderlands film being in development has fans excited for what’s to come, but also curious as to which part of the series the movie will adapt. We’re no exception, and that’s why we’re here with our top five Borderlands storylines that could work in a film adaptation.
The First Game’s Vault Hunt
Though a boring choice in some regards, sticking to the first Borderlands’ storyline would save the upcoming film’s creators many a headache across a wide swath of areas.
The game’s conceit is a simple one: After hearing of a legendary Vault full of treasure, four Vault Hunters journey to the dangerous planet of Pandora to claim it as their own.
Upon arriving though, they find that the planet is under the control of the Atlas Corporation. Using their funds and resources, they’ve paid the local Bandit gangs to keep the planet’s populace under their rule while they try to claim the Vault’s treasures for themselves.
There are shootouts, world building segments and hijinks in-between their arrival and discovery of the Vault, but overall it’s a pretty standard treasure hunt with action elements thrown in for good measure.
This could prove a boon for the film adaptation. Though simple, the storyline would give the film a clear roadmap of where to go, who the film’s villain would be, what set pieces to have and so forth.
Not only that, but it would also provide a good setup for potential sequels, leaving some mystery and intrigue regarding the rest of the world and what happens after the Vault is opened.
Tiny Tina’s Story Arc
On the other hand, if the Borderlands film’s creators want to take some risks, they could do a character-driven film focused on Tiny Tina.
A fan-favorite character from the series, Tina’s story is one of highs and lows. Originally a normal child of two unnamed settlers, she lost her mind as a result of experiments performed with slag on her and her parents; which, unfortunately, also led to her parents’ deaths before she escaped through the use of an explosive.
Following her escape, she teamed up with the Roland, Lilith and the other Vault Hunters as an explosives expert. Using her skills and newfound allies, she set out to get revenge against Hyperion and the Bandit who sold her and her parents into experimentation.
While it may not give as big of a glimpse of Borderlands’ world as other stories might, Tiny Tina’s story would provide plenty of set pieces and character development for the film to work with. Seeing her engage in zany, manic antics; blow up bandits with reckless abandon; and start to come to terms with her parents’ deaths would all serve as great story beats for a wider story’s plot.
Likewise, her story uses and intersects with those of several other prominent characters’ adventures, and could easily set up a cinematic universe of films centered on any one of the characters she encounters.
Rhys and Fiona’s Adventure
It may seem like cheating to use Tales From the Borderlands‘ plot for the upcoming film, but it’s also the story which would see the easiest transition to another medium.
Whereas other games were action-focused shooters with stories told largely in the background, Tales made its characters and story the primary focus of the game.
The salary man Rhys’ mission to obtain a Vault Key and secure a better standing at Hyperion; the con-woman Fiona’s quest to amass enough money to take care of herself and her sister Sasha; and the various other storylines that intersect with each other are all fleshed out and executed to perfection, all while providing a great glimpse of what Pandora is and what occurs there.
Should they adapt the episodic games’ story to a film, the Borderlands movie’s creators would have a rock-solid road map for who to include in the movie, what they would do and even how to write each character.
Set pieces like trying to acquire a Vault Key, surviving a Demolition Derby and breaking into Hyperion HQ would also give the film plenty of variety in its tone, and allow the film’s creators to have fun exploring the zanier nature of the series as a whole.
Lilith’s Character Arc
However, if hitting as many Borderlands story beats as possible is what the film’s creators are after, then focusing on Lilith’s character arc might be their best bet.
Around since the start of the series, Lilith is integral to several key plots and parts of the series’ lore. In addition to being one of the first Vault Hunters shown to successfully find a Vault, she’s one of the fabled Sirens who share an unknown link to the Vaults and their power.
Not only that, but with each new villain introduced, she proves herself more and more capable of leading the planet’s people toward independence and freedom from these mad men’s plans and influences. By the series’ latest installment, she’s low-key the leader of the entire planet, serving as a symbol for every other character to base their actions on.
To that end, the creators of the Borderlands film could use Lilith’s character development as a through-line and flesh out the film from there.
Even if they only adapted the first parts of her adventure – namely her first hunt for a vault, and her journey to discover more about what Sirens are – it could build a good foundation for the rest of the series and provide jumping-off points for other adventures to occur in potential sequels.
It would also put some of the series’ biggest plot points front and center in terms of importance, and help viewers of the film connect with the universe’s lore by giving them a more personal story centered around it.
The Rise and/or Fall of Handsome Jack
It would be difficult to pull off with only a single film, but using the rise and/or fall of Handsome Jack for the Borderlands movie’s story would offer plenty of advantages.
On one hand, Jack is still widely regarded as one of the best characters in the series. A megalomaniacal captain of industry, he used his inventions to create a weapons manufacturing company capable of suppressing the whole of Pandora.
Once he did this, he began purging the population of any who resisted him with an obsessive fervor, striking fear into almost all who opposed him and clearing the board of any who might get in the way of him claiming all of the planet’s resources for his own.
On the other hand though, he also has one of the more interesting and impactful back stories motivating his actions. Following his daughter Angel’s awakening to being a Siren, his wife was killed in an accident caused by said awakening during a Bandit attack.
Desperate to both protect her from harm and keep her from hurting anyone else, he locked her away and began using her powers to kill those who would try and take her from him, all while using her powers to enhance his own standing in the world.
It’s dark and twisted, but also a novel plot for the film to explore. Plus, thanks to his story arc being complete, the film’s creators would have everything they’d need to tell the story cohesively, and could even rearrange story elements to tell a more impactful narrative.
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