Eli Roth Blames COVID for ‘Borderlands’ Epic Box Office Failure

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2024 saw the release of Borderlands, a cinematic venture that, unfortunately, didn’t make much of a splash at the box office. As a cinephile, I was looking forward to this big-budget adaptation of the popular video game, directed by Eli Roth and featuring an impressive ensemble including Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis – both Academy Award winners. However, the film could only manage a disappointing $33 million at the box office.

Looking back on it now, Eli Roth himself admits that we were outmaneuvered, stating bluntly that “we got our asses handed to us.” He attributes much of the movie’s shortcomings to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lately, on the Town podcast, Roth discussed his latest venture – a horror media company where fans can own a piece and reap profits. He briefly mentioned some issues with Borderlands from last year, a film adaptation based on the popular video game series by Gearbox Software. Despite the passionate fan base, the movie’s shortcomings were evident, including a PG-13 rating. Roth commented, “I don’t think any of us anticipated how challenging things would be with COVID.

It’s not just about filming scenes, but also requires pick-up shots or re-shoots, which involves six teams working on different sets. However, due to cities reopening, there was a COVID outbreak, making it impossible for everyone to work together in the same room. I couldn’t be with my stunt team, couldn’t do pre-visualization, and everyone was scattered. Preparing a movie of such scale over video conferencing tools wasn’t feasible, and we learned the hard way that we couldn’t manage it as effectively as we thought.

The production for Borderlands began in April 2021 and continued until June of the same year. In early 2023, there were two weeks of reshoots for Borderlands, but Roth wasn’t present during that time. Instead, Tim Miller, director of Deadpool, was called in to oversee those reshoots, as Roth was occupied filming his horror movie titled Thanksgiving. Consequently, Roth confessed that he hadn’t seen the final version of Borderlands until he sat down in a theater to watch it for the first time.

For the first time, I’ll be experiencing a unique moment: watching a film that I myself directed, and wondering about the unfolding events. I recall thinking, have I reached a stage in my career where I will watch a movie with my name as both writer and director, unsure of what lies ahead? Truthfully, I don’t know what to expect.

‘Borderlands’ Was a PG-13 Disaster

With a mere 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes by critics, it’s clear that Borderlands has been one of the most notable disappointments in recent times. As Scott J. Davis from SciFiNow put it, even the most dedicated and passionate gaming aficionados might struggle to overlook its flaws. In terms of the film’s inconsistent tempo, Julian Roman from MovieWeb commented that Roth should have focused on action-packed sequences throughout instead of pausing for breaks. Lastly, Sean P. Means from The Movie Cricket delivered a harsh critique, stating that the movie had numerous issues.

Borderlands isn’t merely among the worst films this year; it’s a film that lacks any sign of creative vitality, and seems pointless and lacking purpose.

It’s clear that COVID likely contributed to the struggles of the movie “Borderlands,” but its PG-13 rating didn’t make things easier. Longtime gamers are accustomed to the game’s graphic violence, yet for some reason, the filmmakers opted to aim for a wider audience by toning down the gore. This decision was a misstep that significantly impacted the film’s performance. It’s likely that if they had focused more on satisfying the existing fanbase, “Borderlands” might have stood a better chance at recouping its budget.

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2025-04-14 18:31