What was as soon as one of the crucial anticipated online game variations ever went on to turn into one of many yr’s largest flops on the field workplace as an alternative, and now, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer has supplied some perception into why he thinks Borderlands failed so miserably. Directed by Eli Roth and produced on a finances of $120 million, the action-comedy went on to earn simply $33 million throughout its theatrical run, and was largely panned by critics upon its launch, with the bulk agreeing that it has no redeeming qualities to even put it within the class of films which can be so unhealthy they’re good.
Feltheimer was readily available for Lionsgate’s quarterly earnings name on Thursday (through IGN) to deal with the studio’s losses, which got here in at $163.3 million {dollars}. When the topic of Borderlands‘ “poor field workplace efficiency” got here up, the CEO blamed every little thing from the pandemic to rates of interest for its dismal defeat, saying that “every little thing that might go mistaken did go mistaken.”
“On Borderlands, practically every little thing that might go mistaken did go mistaken. It sat on the shelf for too lengthy throughout the pandemic, and reshoots and rising rates of interest took it exterior the security zone of our normally strict monetary fashions.”
Lionsgate’s total income for the quarter was $948.6 million, which was down from $101.1 billion a yr in the past, one thing Feltheimer referred to as “disappointing” that speaks to an “setting with much less margin for error than ever earlier than.” Whereas he didn’t particularly name out The Crow (which didn’t even make again half its finances of $50 million), he did remark that there have been a number of different releases that “did not dwell as much as both our requirements or our projections.”
The Harsh Actuality Is That Borderlands Simply Wasn’t a Good Film
Having been dubbed by some because the worst online game adaptation ever made (its Rotten Tomatoes rating is even decrease than 2005’s Doom), it’s straightforward accountable Borderlands’ failure on quite a lot of exterior elements. When it comes proper all the way down to it, although, it simply wasn’t a superb film. All of the substances had been there for successful – together with an all-star solid that featured the likes of Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis – however Roth’s execution fell flat.
Associated
Borderlands Continues the Worst Pattern From Video Sport Variations
Borderlands is one other current online game adaptation that continues the development of inexplicably not faithfully adapting the supply materials for the followers.
What might have been a enjoyable adaptation of the shooter-looter recreation was hindered by its PG-13 ranking, generic motion, and juvenile humor. It appeared to be simply going by way of the motions from one scene to the following, attempting its greatest to service the gaming neighborhood whereas providing no actual surprises. Then there’s the pacing points with the movie. Borderlands began off rapidly, however petered out after the primary hour, and as MovieWeb’s personal Julian Roman put it in his evaluate:
“This try at intrigue stumbles when every little thing was rightly buzzing alongside at a superb clip. There is a diploma of overthinking that provides as much as pointless filler. Roth ought to have caught with the attention sweet and motion till the credit.”
Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom for Feltheimer and Lionsgate, as 2025 will see the discharge of some anticipated hits that can hopefully hold buyers and moviegoers blissful, together with the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, Noticed XI, and Now You See Me 3. It will take issues in 2026 for The Starvation Video games: Dawn on the Reaping, which can as soon as once more return followers to the world of Panem.
Based mostly on the online game franchise, Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy movie that follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her dwelling planet, Pandora, to discover a tycoon’s lacking daughter. Along with a gaggle of unlikely allies, resembling a soldier, a teenaged demolitions knowledgeable, a wise-cracking robotic, and an eccentric scientist, the group will work collectively to save lots of the lady – all whereas studying to take care of one another’s unyielding quirks.
- Launch Date
- August 9, 2024
- Director
- Eli Roth
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Essential Style
- Sci-Fi