Craig Mazin, co-creator of The Last of Us TV series, has decided to remove his name from the long-awaited Borderlands movie. This news was reported by World of Reel and confirmed through the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) website. The current credited writers on the film are Eli Roth and Joe Crombie, with the latter being a pseudonym for Mazin. This suggests that Mazin no longer wants to be associated with the project. The film adaptation of the popular Gearbox looter-shooter has faced numerous setbacks, including an unsatisfactory test screening in November that led to Lionsgate ordering additional work on the movie.
Mazin’s Decision and Reputation
Mazin’s decision to use a pseudonym comes at a time when he is one of the most sought-after writers in Hollywood. With critical acclaim for his work on HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation and the success of the Chernobyl miniseries, Mazin has established himself as a talented writer. Given the reported post-production issues, including director Tim Miller replacing Eli Roth for reshoots, it is understandable that Mazin would want to protect his reputation by distancing himself from the troubled project. At one point, Sam Levinson, creator of Euphoria, was also involved in the writing process.
Development Challenges and Star-Studded Cast
Filming for Borderlands began in 2021 and boasts a star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett as Siren Lilith, Kevin Hart as soldier Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as researcher Dr. Patricia Tannis, and Jack Black as robot Claptrap. First-look images of the cast’s silhouette were released in mid-2021, but there has been little information about the film since then. With Tim Miller taking over as director, Zak Olkewicz was brought in to write new pages for the movie. In total, seven writers were involved in revising the script. The official website for the Borderlands movie has not been updated to reflect Mazin’s departure.
Synopsis and Mazin’s Partner’s Career Move
According to Lionsgate’s official synopsis, Borderlands follows Lilith, an outlaw who returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe’s most powerful individual, Atlas. To accomplish this, Lilith assembles a team of misfits, including Roland, Tiny Tina, and Claptrap, to battle aliens, bandits, and psychos. The mission eventually evolves into a quest to save the world.
In other news, Mazin’s partner on The Last of Us series, Neil Druckmann, will become the sole leader of Naughty Dog, the game development studio behind Uncharted and The Last of Us. Co-president Evan Wells has chosen to retire after 25 years with the company. Wells expressed confidence in Druckmann’s ability to lead the studio into the future.
The release date for the Borderlands movie has not been announced.
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