While the 2024 box office so far boasts standout titles in both the big-studio—Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine—and indie (what’s up, Longlegs?) realms, some bombs have also fallen. One that’s especially notable is Borderlands, which endured production delays and negative pre-release buzz, then opened to terrible reviews and scant audience attendance, then made a lickety-split leap to home release just a few weeks later. But just how bad are we talking? Well…
IGN cites data on box-office site the Numbers tallying Borderlands‘ global theatrical haul as just a fraction of its estimated (per Variety) $115 million budget, plus an estimated $30 million on top of that for marketing and distribution. As of right now, it’s made just under $33 million, a sum that’s pretty evenly divided between the U.S. ($15 million) and international ($17 million) markets. That figure is especially surprising considering the movie is based on a popular video game that should’ve translated into built-in filmgoing excitement, was directed by Eli Roth, and had a surprisingly killer cast including Cate Blanchett, Gina Gershon, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
There are still three and a half months to go in the year, so it’s too early to determine which movie will walk away with the “biggest flop” crown, and there are other contenders; some, like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, failed to recoup their budgets but still earned positive reviews, while others, like Madame Web, found streaming audiences were kinder than theatrical ones. Will Borderlands find redemption? Will it emerge from the darkness, Howard the Duck-style, to cult adoration in a few decades? Time will tell.
Borderlands‘ official description: “Lilith (Cate Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Edgar Ramírez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland (Kevin Hart), a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound protector; Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), the oddball scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Jack Black), a wiseass robot. Together, these unlikely heroes must battle an alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets. The fate of the universe could be in their hands—but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.”
As of August 30 (after opening in theaters August 9), Borderlands is available to rent or buy digitally at home.
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