Exploring Borderlands' Sales Performance: An Unanticipated Outcome
After a long stint in production, a new director, and some reshoots, Lionsgate's Borderlands film is here, and it's...not exactly winning hearts! Even with Cate Blanchett at the helm, giving it her all, the movie's been met with a barrage of scathing reviews. And that brutal criticism has been equally damaging to its box office numbers.
According to Variety, the adaptation of Gearbox's iconic loot-shoot series made a paltry $8.8 million in the US and $16.5 million worldwide in its debut weekend. You read that right; $4 million came from the domestic market, and word of mouth hasn't been kind. Analyst Luiz Fernando reports a dismal D+ CinemaScore rating, which, to be honest, I didn't think was possible. The domestic take is nearly three times less than the opening weekends for the 2018 Tomb Raider remake and 2021's Mortal Kombat movie, the latter of which had to battle the pandemic and a simultaneous streaming release on then-HBO Max. And for director Eli Roth, the movie's opening fell just a tad short of the $10.4 million debut of last year's Thanksgiving, with a considerably larger budget of $115 million compared to the latter's $15 million.
The general consensus around the film seems to be that if you're after some high-octane shooty fun, you're better off firing up the games or checking out Tales from the Borderlands. At the time of writing, its Rotten Tomatoes score has inched up from a dismal 3% to a slightly more respectable 10%, while ratings among audiences stand at 50%. Maybe it'll find a slightly more forgiving audience when it finally lands on streaming, after which Gearbox and 2K can probably let it slide into obscurity.
The movie might not be enough to bury the franchise, though. Look at how little the Street Fighter movie adventure of 2009 mattered. But it'll likely be a tough question some developers will need to answer when Borderlands 4 surfaces someday.
Oh, and Deadpool & Wolverine hit the $1 billion mark. Yay.
Update, 8/12/2024 @ 2:28 PM: The story has been tweaked with additional details on the domestic and global box office gross of the Borderlands movie.
Want more io9 news? Keep track of the latest on Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases. Get the scoop on what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV. And, of course, everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
- Despite the negativity surrounding Lionsgate's Borderlands film, it's possible that a more forgiving audience might be found on streaming platforms, allowing Gearbox and 2K to let it slide into obscurity.
- The disappointing box office performance of the Borderlands film, with a domestic take of $4 million and a CinemaScore rating of D+, puts it in a league below both the 2018 Tomb Raider remake and 2021's Mortal Kombat movie, which faced similar challenges.
- If you're in search of high-octane shooty fun, you might find it more satisfying to fire up the games or check out Tales from the Borderlands, as the movie's Rotten Tomatoes score has inched up from a dismal 3% to a slightly more respectable 10%, while audience ratings stand at 50%.
- The poor reception of the Borderlands film might not be enough to bury the franchise, but it could become a question for developers to consider when Borderlands 4 surfaces in the future, much like the Street Fighter movie adventure of 2009 had little impact.
