Why the star-studded Borderlands adaptation became one of 2024's biggest box-office disasters
In short: After years of development and a high-profile ensemble cast, the Borderlands film arrived to scathing reviews and dismal ticket sales. Despite its pedigree and a massive production budget, the project struggled to capture the spirit of its source material, ultimately serving as a cautionary tale for video game adaptations.
The journey of Borderlands from video game to screen began in 2015, when Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford first discussed the concept with producers. What followed was a decade of shifting creative visions. Eli Roth eventually signed on to direct, with a screenplay that underwent numerous revisions by writers including Craig Mazin, Juel Taylor, and Tony Rettenmaier. Production took place in Budapest during 2021, but the film faced significant hurdles, including two weeks of reshoots in 2023 directed by Tim Miller while Roth was occupied with other commitments.
When the film finally premiered in August 2024, the reception was overwhelmingly negative. Critics and audiences alike panned the movie, with review aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic assigning it exceptionally low scores. Common complaints focused on the script, the lack of character chemistry, and the decision to aim for a PG-13 rating, which required cutting graphic violence that some felt was essential to the franchise's identity. Publications like The Evening Standard and The Independent labeled it a disaster, while others noted that even the star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart, could not elevate the material.
Financially, the film was a significant failure. With a production budget between $110 million and $120 million, plus $30 million spent on marketing, the $33 million worldwide gross resulted in an estimated $80 million loss for Lionsgate. Interestingly, the film's release did provide a minor boost to the video game series, with concurrent player counts for Borderlands 3 doubling on Steam. However, this silver lining did little to offset the critical and commercial fallout, leaving the studio to reconsider its approach to future game-to-film projects.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Borderlands (film)
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