Borderlands' box office performance is one of the worst for a high-budget film in 2024, only managing to scrape together $33 million worldwide against a budget of $110-120 million. The film was also critically panned, sporting a 10% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, citing it as a poor adaptation of its video game source material. This includes criticism of its PG-13 ratings when the games are rated M for Mature, and its generic translation to the big screen.

Speaking with IndieWire, Roth briefly recalled the production of Borderlands, alluding to just how troubled the creation of the video game adaptation truly was. Though he didn't go into detail, he explained that the COVID-19 pandemic was a determining factor in how production shaped up, and that he "could write a book" on all the behind-the-scenes details of the film. Check out what Roth had to say below:

That was a whole other story. Making that in COVID was like… I could write a book on that.

What Roth's Statement On Borderlands Says About Its Production

Making The Adaptation Wasn't Easy

Roth became attached to the movie as co-writer and director in February 2020, while the cast of Borderlands signed on throughout that same year. Filming for the video game adaptation happened from April to June 2021, with two weeks of reshoots from director Tim Miller happening in January 2023. Stunt coordinator Jimmy O'Dee later revealed parts of the movie had been filmed with an R rating in mind, before they were cut in post-production to maintain a PG-13 rating. The length of time between shooting and its August 2024 release implies many changes happened over the course of production.

While Roth wasn't specific about what happened while making the movie, his brief comment indicates there was friction during the production process that caused the film's release state. Despite the ending of Borderlands leaving room for more of the game world to be explored on the big screen, its troubled release means that probably won't be happening anytime soon. Even though the director didn't provide much info about its troubled production, there's ample evidence from the film's presentation that everything wasn't running as smoothly as expected.

Our Take On Roth's Honest Borderlands Production Comments

A Bigger Story Could Come Out Later

Since Roth wasn't specific about what went wrong during Borderlands' production, he could end up sharing a larger story about the film as time goes on. For now, though, many of the issues can only be interpreted by the information available, such as its rating change and the reshoots from Miller. Given the success of other video game adaptations in recent years, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Sonic the Hedgehog series, the differences in production will likely be apparent when more info gets released.

The next installment in the Borderlands franchise will be the video game Borderlands 4, set for release in 2025.

Source: IndieWire