We've seen an increase in quality in recent years when it comes to video game movies, and there's an awful lot of excitement surrounding Eli Roth's live-action take on Borderlands.
He's assembled an insanely talented cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, Édgar Ramírez, Haley Bennett, and Florian Munteanu. We recently caught up with the latter to mark the debut of his new Training Program, but had to ask what he could share about playing Krieg in Borderlands.
In the games, Krieg is able to transform into a psychotic killer. Equipped with his Buzzax, he goes on rampages and greatly differs from the other vault hunters (mostly because the more damage you take, the stronger he becomes). He's an intimidating badass, and a role Florian is massively excited about.
"The character, Krieg, I’m telling you, that was a lot of fun to play," the actor enthused. "Playing the two personalities, his craziness, and being violent and vicious when it comes to fighting, but at the same time, giving the character heart...maybe people won’t expect that. We know from the games he has a lot of heart, but maybe he just can’t express it. That’s what makes him also very funny, so the character in total has everything. He’s violent, his fighting style is intimidating and vicious, he’s funny and will show heart as well, so it’s the whole package."
"I was honoured to be next to such an amazing cast. I still feel that I’m at the beginning of my career, so being lined up with legends like Cate, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, Arianna, who was unbelievable, elevated me to the next level. I’m working with the best in the game, so that made me better," Florian continued, highlighting the movie's A-List cast.
"The world that Eli, our director, created, I just don’t see how people can’t like that. I know in the gaming world, people are very restricted if it comes to a movie adaptation of computer games because there weren’t too many good ones so far. This one, we have a blockbuster right there. It has everything: the tone of the game? We adapted that. It has that black humour to it, and at the same time it’s violent as that’s what we want when it comes to Borderlands."
After praising Jack Black, he added that "we get to know a little backstory for everyone," and promised that "the gaming world will be pleased and the regular fans or audience who don’t know anything about the game will love it as well. You can be very excited for that one."
It's certainly an exciting time for "Big Nasty" because he's wrapping this project right after starring in Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings for Marvel Studios. You can hear more from him on that movie and Borderlands in the video above, and keep checking back here for more on that video game adaptation (it's expected to be released sometime next year from Lionsgate).
Are you excited to see Florian in action as Krieg in the movie?