Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the popular video game series of the same name developed by Gearbox Software, ‘Borderlands’ is a science fiction action movie co-written and helmed by Eli Roth. The narrative introduces us to an infamous bounty hunter named Lilith, who returns to her chaotic home planet, Pandora, against her will with a dangerous mission — to find and rescue the missing daughter of the most powerful S.O.B., Atlas. In order to carry out the mission successfully, Lilith forms a team of misfits, which includes a scientist named Tannis, a preteen demolitionist named Tiny Tina, Tina’s protector named Krieg, a seasoned mercenary named Roland, and an intelligent robot named Claptrap.
This unexpected team faces threats from aliens and bandits while they attempt to bring the darkest secrets of the planet to the surface. The action-adventure comedy movie stars an ensemble cast featuring some of the most well-established names in the industry, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Florian Munteanu, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, and Gina Gershon. Given the dystopian setting of the fictional planet of Pandora, queries about the actual shooting sites are bound to cross the minds of the viewers.
Borderlands Filming Locations
Filming for ‘Borderlands’ was carried out entirely in Hungary, particularly in the Budapest metropolitan area. According to reports, principal photography for the Cate Blanchett starrer got underway in early April 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was wrapped up in June of the same year after less than three months. The cast and crew members gathered again in early 2023 for two weeks of reshoots, helmed by Tim Miller, as Eli Roth was busy working on ‘Thanksgiving.’
Budapest Metropolitan Area, Hungary
Almost all the pivotal sequences of ‘Borderlands’ were taped in the Budapest metropolitan area, which consists of the city of Budapest and its surrounding suburbs. The production team took over the Stern Film Studio in Pomáz, Hungary, and made the most of all the amenities of the studio to bring the action-packed movie to life. Home to four different sound stages of varying sizes, the facility also houses production offices, dressing rooms, storage and workshop spaces, and catering services, all necessary to provide the filmmakers and their teams with a smooth filmmaking experience, proving to be an ideal site for the making of projects such as ‘Borderlands.’
The filming unit supposedly created various sets to double the fictitious waste world of Pandora, utilizing the advanced facilities of the studio and other parts of the Budapest metropolitan area. It is likely that the establishing or aerial shots in ‘Borderlands’ feature an edited version of the cityscape of Budapest, which includes buildings and attractions like the Hungarian Parliament Building, the Buda Castle, the Liberty Bridge, and more. Besides the Cate Blanchett starrer, the metropolitan area has served as a prominent filming site for other movies and shows like ‘Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire,’ ‘Knights of the Zodiac,’ ‘The Golden Compass,’ ‘The Witcher,’ ‘Moon Knight,’ and ‘Going Postal.’
In an interview with Collider, a few of the cast members spilled the beans on some fun behind-the-scenes activities that transpired on set. Shedding light on the guidance obtained in relation to the characters from game developers — particularly video game industry veteran Randy Pitchford — during filming, Janina Gavankar, who appears as Commander Knoxx, stated, “Having him (Randy) around was a lot of, ‘Does this look right? Does that look right? Is this the right color red?’ Pressure-testing everything against his opinion was fun.” Benjamin Byron Davis, who stars as Marcus, echoed the sentiment, adding, When he said it was proper, you took him at his word that it was. So, all the guns, all the vehicles—fans of the game are going to find a ton of stuff that they’re going to recognize.”
Gavankar revealed that filming took place “right after the vaccines were available and right before the first variant hit.” She continued, “We were in this perfect little moment where we could walk around and feel free after being terrified for so long.” Though he admittedly doesn’t believe in god, Bobby Lee, who plays Larry, described shooting during the COVID-19 pandemic “as a god-blessing experience.” Elaborating on the safety guidelines and restrictions they had to adhere to to ensure the production went smoothly, he said, “I couldn’t believe it. In fact, I remember being on the plane, and (Janina) was on the plane. I was like, ‘Should I even say hi?’ Because we all had to wear masks and stuff on the plane. It was the first time I was outside. It was incredible. To do a movie after being in the house for a couple of years felt like a miracle.”
Read More: Best Action Movies on Apple TV+
