Cate Blanchett to star in Eli Roth's Borderlands movie

UPDATE: Lionsgate formally announced Cate Blanchett in the role of Lilith for director Eli Roth's Borderlands film.

"I’m so lucky to have the amazing Cate Blanchett starring in Borderlands," Roth said in a statement. "We had the most incredible collaboration together on The House with a Clock in Its Walls, and I believe there’s nothing she can’t do. From drama to comedy and now action, Cate makes every scene sing. Working with her is truly a director’s dream come true, and I feel so fortunate that I get to do it again on an even bigger scale. Everyone brings their A-game to work with Cate, and I know together we’re going to create another iconic character in her already storied career."

EARLIER: There was a time when Cate Blanchett starring in a videogame movie adaptation might have seemed a little odd, but, after Thor: Ragnarok, it's a welcome sight.

The Oscar winner is in talks to star in director Eli Roth's Borderlands film, EW has learned. While the deal isn't closed just yet, the role she's circling is Lilith, one of four Vault Hunters from the original 2009 game.

In the mythology of Borderlands, these raiders arrive on the planet Pandora, which has been abandoned by a massive corporation. Guided by a mysterious Angel, the Vault Hunters find a fragment of the key to a legendary Vault, setting them on a path to piece the key together and unlock its treasures before said corporation can do so. Lilith is a Siren from the planet Dionysus with an array of alien abilities, including invisibility.

Though she became a recurring character as the game series progressed, Blanchett's starring role could suggest the film version will take inspiration from that initial installment. The casting, if complete, would reunite her with Roth, who helmed the actress as a witch in The House with a Clock in Its Walls. It would also, presumably, give her another killer wig to wear after Ocean's 8.

HBO's Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, who's also penning the TV series adaptation of the Last of Us videogame, wrote the latest draft of the script.

It's unclear when things can go back to normal in Hollywood, but Borderlands is scheduled to start filming later this year. Blanchett was in the midst of shooting Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley in Canada with Rooney Mara and Bradley Cooper when production was put on hold in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Variety was the first to report on Blanchett's casting talks.

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