Lionsgate CEO Admits "Everything That Could Go Wrong Did Go Wrong" With BORDERLANDS Box Office Flop

Lionsgate CEO Admits "Everything That Could Go Wrong Did Go Wrong" With BORDERLANDS Box Office Flop

Borderlands is one of 2024's biggest box office bombs and Lionsgate's CEO and CFO have both admitted that Robert Rodriguez's adaptation of the hit video game series was an unmitigated disaster for them.

By JoshWilding - Nov 08, 2024 12:11 PM EST
Filed Under: Video Games
Source: THR (via GameFragger.com)

It's been a difficult year for Lionsgate, but Borderlands stands out as the studio's biggest box office flop. Following a disastrous $9 million opening weekend, the movie concluded its month-long run at the box office with a dismal $31 million before limping on to Digital platforms. 

With a production budget of $115 million and a $30 million marketing campaign - which saw fans of the hit series of games largely reject everything they were seeing - the studio has likely lost upwards of $114 million. 

Lionsgate has now shared its second-quarter financial results (via GameFragger.com), singling out Borderlands as one of its biggest money-losers. 

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said, "Within our television Group, our unscripted business is feeling the effects of a continuing market correction.  In our film group, the poor box office performance of Borderlands, coupled with softer-than-anticipated results for other releases in the quarter, reflected an environment with less margin for error than ever before."

He'd later explain that, "nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong: it sat on the shelf for too long during the pandemic, and reshoots and rising interest rates took it outside the safety zone of our usual strict financial models. Several of our other releases in the quarter, though cushioned by financial models that worked as intended, didn’t live up to either our standards or our projections."

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly WarfareThe Crow, Never Let Go, and Megalopolis likely all fall into that category. 

According to Lionsgate CFO Jimmy Barge, Borderlands' losses "[were] outside the range of outcomes we would expect, given the underlying IP cast and size of the film’s budget.

"As always, we learned valuable lessons from every release, and Borderlands is no exception. We are confident that our go-forward processes will help reduce the likelihood of a similar outcome in the future," Barge added.  

The studio seems far more confident about its future prospects as the likes of Ballerina and Now You See Me 3 are on the way, as is another Hunger Games movie. Needless to say, we don't expect Borderlands 2 to ever become a reality. 

Starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, Gina Gershon, and Jamie Lee Curtis, Borderlands is based on the video game Borderlands created by Gearbox Software and published by 2K.

Eli Roth directed the movie from a screenplay he penned with Joe Crombie. However, it's been widely reported that he handed over directing duties to Deadpool helmer Tim Miller for the movie's reshoots. 

Did you check out Borderlands on the big screen?

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Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 11/8/2024, 12:07 PM
But when they will admit the movie sucks dingo ass?


Everything goes wrong...except the movie...
Yeah sure
dracula
dracula - 11/8/2024, 12:12 PM
How does Eli Roth still find work?
dracula
dracula - 11/8/2024, 12:15 PM
This was Eli Roth's movie not Robert Rodriguez

Although at this point there isn't much difference (Remember when Rodriguez was comparable to Tarantino)
Shivermetimbers
Shivermetimbers - 11/8/2024, 12:49 PM
@dracula - Yeah and then Spy Kids quickly put those ideas to rest.
dracula
dracula - 11/8/2024, 2:22 PM
@Shivermetimbers - Well by Kid movie standards the first 2 were alright, although its been a long time since I saw them.

But even his non kid movie stuff isn't strong

Planet Terror was great

Machete did not live up to the trailer

Machete Kills was just bad

Sin City 2 terrible

Heard Aelita Battle Angel was strong but also heard its a very watered down version of the anime

Even Once Upon A Time In Mexico which is enjoyable doesn't come close to living up to Desparado
Antitrollpatrol
Antitrollpatrol - 11/8/2024, 10:15 PM
@dracula - I liked his episode of the mandalorian. His boba Fett show on the other hand...
TK420
TK420 - 11/8/2024, 12:23 PM
Casting might have something to do with it.
sully
sully - 11/9/2024, 12:37 AM
@TK420 - Boomerlands.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 11/8/2024, 12:25 PM
That's usually what happens with phoned in video game adaptations with weird casting choices.
RolandD
RolandD - 11/8/2024, 12:37 PM
Eli Roth stated that his French bulldog pooping gave him inspiration while pitching the film. Maybe that’s all we need to know.
LSHF
LSHF - 11/8/2024, 2:30 PM
Maybe they also explain (if they bothered to find out) all the main reasons why the audience didn't like it in addition to all this financial gobly -gook.
JayLemle
JayLemle - 11/8/2024, 2:51 PM
Then, why didn't they just cancel it altogether? Warner Bros Discovery axed the Looney Tunes and Batgirl projects.

Also, who thought it would be a great idea to put Henry Cavill in ANOTHER SPY MOVIE???? I think I counted FOUR within the last nine years.

This one is on the studio. They deserve all the smoke.
Astroman
Astroman - 11/8/2024, 6:57 PM
This movie suffered from major miscasts and no effort at storytelling just spectacle. And not much going in the spectacle department. A couple great actors can’t save a shitty movie.

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