Summary
TheBorderlandsmovie grossed $16 million worldwide during its opening weekend, according to a report fromGamesIndustry.biz. Borderlands cost $115 million to create and was allocated $30 million for distribution and marketing. A $16 million return represents a near-90% loss.
This total comprises $8.8 million fromdomestic (United States) box officeand $7.2 million from international audiences. Despite facing tough competition in Deadpool & Wolverine and the surprise hit It Ends With Us, there’s no denying that Borderlands has received a frosty reception from both critics and cinema-goers alike.
Opening Pandora’s Box (Vault)
Borderlands currently holds a 9% score from critics onRotten Tomatoesand a 50% audience score. The creation of Borderlands was ostensibly not a smooth process, with Tim Miller re-shooting a portion of director Eli Roth’s work, and acclaimed writer Craig Mazin having his name removed from the credits. Furthermore, filming has been wrapped since June of 2021, meaning Lionsgate has been sitting on it for years; rarely a sign of a movie that goes on to become a runaway success.
Critics have panned nearly every aspect of the film, including a lack of chemistry between the main cast, a flat script, cheap-looking CGI, ‘phoned-in’ performances and a dearth of compelling humour. The decision to make Borderlands PG-13 when the video games are classified as M-18 seems to have limited Roth’s ability to transfer the humour and tone of the beloved series to the big screen.
According to Jimmy O’Dee, a stunt coordinator who worked on Borderlands, the original direction of Borderlands was for it to bean R-rated movie. According to O’Dee, characters in Borderlands were “blowing people’s heads off” before the production changed direction to make it suitable for younger audiences.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchfordhas been defending the movie on social media, saying that at least half of the people who have watched the film enjoyed it, before comparing the movie’s performance to the career of The Beatles. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Gearbox’s parent company Take-Two, has alsodefended the film, saying “A lot of people worked really hard on it.”
