Borderlands film barely recoups its marketing costs during theatrical run
Atlas fallen.
The Borderlands film has made headlines for, sadly, not the right reasons recently. The adaptation based on Gearbox's games of the same name failed to capture the hearts (and wallets) of audiences on its August release, and was widely panned by critics.
And, now, we have a better idea of just how much of a commercial flop the Cate Blanchett -fronted film actually was. According to film industry data website The Numbers (via PC Gamer), the film's theatrical release has closed with just $30,975,300 to its name.
While I certainly wouldn't sniff at a little shy of $31m in my bank account, from a Hollywood big screen release perspective, that figure really isn't great. To give more context, it was estimated Borderlands had a production cost of around $115m. Meanwhile, its marketing and distribution costs were said to be $30m.
PC Gamer does note that while these latest Borderlands figures are surely disappointing for those involved, it isn't actually the worst video game adaptation of all time. It has performed better than filmmaker Uwe Boll's releases, anyway.
There is some poetic justice in this, given Boll took a shot at the Borderlands film on its release, mockingly implying he could have directed.
But, despite this small victory, Borderlands' financial performance thus far (its streaming figures are not accounted for here), it still sits behind the likes of the questionable Rosamund Pike-starring Doom film, which according to The Numbers made $58.7m worldwide during its theatrical run.
Earlier this month, Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford defended the studio's recent flops such as the Borderlands film by comparing the company to The Beatles. Writing on social media, Pitchford stated he was "going to keep making stuff" and subsequently brought the English rock band into the conversation.
As for what is next from the series, Borderlands 4 was announced back in August. While the team at Gearbox has not announced a release date yet, it has said the game will be coming in 2025. It will be available across PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S.