As reported by Word of Reel, the Borderlands movie's co-writer Craig Mazin—known for his work on The Last of Us and Chernobyl—has pulled his name from the project, and will instead be listed under the pseudonym "Joe Crombie".
The report goes on to note that "Aaron Berg, Oren Uziel, Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Zak Olkewicz, Chris Bremner and [Sam Levinson]" have all written on the film, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the project.
It's another blow for a movie that's been spinning its gears in the mud for a while now. Earlier this year it was announced that reshoots would be taking place under the supervision of Deadpool director Tim Miller after test screenings in 2022 didn't deliver. The synopsis hasn't exactly inspired confidence, either.
Reshoots aren't necessarily an indicator of poor quality: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World had three days of "pickups", which are small, minor shots made to complement existing footage. Several classics—Rocky, Back to the Future, and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial—all needed to reshoot scenes, as well.
Craig Mazin removing his name, however? While he's now known for two massive prestige dramas, his previous credits include Scary Movie 3, 4, and the Superhero Movie. That he's potentially embarrassed by the Borderlands movie—despite clearly demonstrating his versatility as a writer—is an ill omen indeed.
Whatever comes out of this film, if it ever makes it out of post-production hell at all, is bound to be fascinating. Especially considering its star-studded cast: Cate Blanchett, Jaimie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, and even Jack Black, who I'm just now finding out was cast as Claptrap. I'm trying to imagine what that looks or sounds like, and I think I need to go and sit down.
