Ariana Greenblatt’s Inspiration For Borderlands Shares A Clever Connection With 2023’s Biggest Movie

Ariana Greenblatt’s Borderlands role had the perfect inspiration, and it also happens to share a clever connection to 2023’s biggest movie. Greenblatt is one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars, and her role in Borderlands is easily one of her most exciting yet. The actress will play Tiny Tina in the upcoming action film, and the inspiration behind the role makes Greenblatt’s performance even more anticipated. Tiny Tina will become a fan-favorite in the Borderlands movie if the games are anything to go by, as the character’s unpredictable nature has made Tiny Tina one of the franchise’s most popular vault hunters.

Although she has never been a playable character, Tiny Tina has become synonymous with the Borderlands games over the years and seems to be a huge part of 2024’s movie. The Borderlands movie’s story looks to focus on the protagonists searching for a vault on Pandora, and Greenblatt’s Tiny Tina appears to be a central character. While the video game series offers a lot of inspiration, Greenblatt also looked outside the franchise to help craft her version of Tiny Tina, with the actress revealing one of her big influences, which happens to have a big connection to 2023’s Barbie.

Ariana Greenblatt’s Tiny Tina Was Inspired By Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn

Ariana Greenblatt’s Barbie Co-Star Helped Inspire Her Portrayal Of Tiny Tina

With Greenblatt’s version of Tiny Tina looking full of fun and mischief, it makes sense that the actress took inspiration from Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. In an interview with IGN, Greenblatt revealed that her performance as Tiny Tina was “heavily inspired by Margot’s Harley Quinn rendition.“ Although Robbie’s performance in 2021’s The Suicide Squad didn’t come out until after Borderlands finished filming, the actress had already played Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016) and Birds of Prey. Robbie helped make the character so iconic, which gave Greenblatt the perfect recipe to try and follow.

Of course, Greenblatt will still have to find ways to make Tiny Tina stand out as her own character, but adding elements of Robbie’s Harley Quinn will provide some extra layers to her performance. If Greenblatt can combine some of Harley Quinn’s quirks with her own material, Tiny Tina could easily become the Borderlands movie’s best character. Early signs from the trailer look promising, suggesting that the actress found the right balance. It is critical that Tiny Tina still feels like the same character from the games, but the Harley Quinn influence should make Greenblatt’s version feel truly unique.

Why Harley Quinn Is The Perfect Inspiration For Greenblatt’s Borderlands Character

Harley Quinn & Tiny Tina Have Plenty Of Similarities

Given the similarities between Harley Quinn and Tiny Tina, Robbie’s DC character is the perfect inspiration for Greenblatt’s Borderlands role. While Margot Robbie’s future as Harley Quinn is unclear, there is no doubt she has given one of the character’s most popular performances of all time. Her chaotic and energetic nature perfectly aligns with what is expected of Tina Tina, proving there is a lot Greenblatt can learn from Robbie’s performance. Both characters have fragilities under the surface, which is often masked through their crazy, outlandish personalities, emphasizing how similar certain elements of the characters are.

Robbie’s version of Quinn also leans into the character’s anti-hero side, as opposed to being a villain like in other adaptations. Tiny Tina plays more of a hero role in Borderlands but still has those violent tendencies and unfiltered quips that can be seen in Harley Quinn. While their backstories and motivations may be completely different, Harley Quinn’s unpredictability makes her a great character for Greenblatt to take inspiration from. Mixing the right Harley Quinn traits into Tiny Tina’s personality while maintaining her youthful and explosive nature could make Greenblatt’s Borderlands role the best performance of her career.

Ariana Greenblatt & Margot Robbie’s Connection Is Even More Hilarious After Barbie

Tiny Tina & Harley Quinn Are Very Different To Greenblatt & Robbie’s Barbie Roles

The connection between Ariana Greenblatt’s Tiny Tina and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is hilarious given their Barbie collaboration. Having two characters like Harley Quinn and Tiny Tina linked to Barbie is already amusing, but given Barbie is over-the-top in her own right, this connection becomes even funnier. Robbie playing the lead role was always going to associate the Barbie movie with Harley Quinn, but Greenblatt playing a massive personality means 2023’s biggest hit now has two unexpected connections. Barbie‘s contrasting tone to Robbie’s DC projects and Borderlands‘ expected style makes this unlikely link even better.

Both Greenblatt and Robbie’s Barbie roles are completely different from their more lively and violent characters, yet Tiny Tina’s Harley Quinn inspiration ties them together. In Barbie, Greenblatt’s character, Sasha, is inspired by Robbie’s Barbie, and this happening in real life makes it a funny coincidence. While Borderlands may have very limited connections to Barbie, Greenblatt’s Tiny Tina being inspired by Robbie’s Harley Quinn draws an instant comparison to their $1.4 billion success, making this a hilariously unexpected link.

Source: IGN

Borderlands

Based on the video game franchise, Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy film that follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet, Pandora, to find a tycoon’s missing daughter. Together with a group of unlikely allies, such as a soldier, a teenaged demolitions expert, a wise-cracking robot, and an eccentric scientist, the group will work together to save the girl – all while learning to deal with each other’s unyielding quirks.

Director

Eli Roth

Release Date

August 9, 2024

Studio(s)

Arad Productions , Picturestart

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate

Writers

Eli Roth , Joe Crombie

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