Take-Two CEO claims dire Borderlands movie actually “helped” franchise

As a die-hard Borderlands fan with countless hours spent looting, shooting, and laughing my way through Pandora, I have to admit, the movie adaptation left me a bit disappointed. The $100 million flop was a far cry from the explosive action and witty humor that made the game franchise so beloved by fans like me.


Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick remained unfazed by the poor critical reception and disappointing box office performance of the Borderlands movie, instead stating that the film actually benefited the franchise as a whole.

Without a doubt, the Borderlands film stands out as one of the most unsuccessful video game adaptations ever made. Critics have branded it as the “worst movie” of 2024, and it only managed to earn a disappointing $31 million globally during its cinema run.

With a staggering loss of approximately $100 million when considering production and promotional costs, this film has become one of the most notable flops in recent times. Despite boasting an illustrious A-list cast including Jack Black and Kevin Hart, the movie failed to mask its departures from the original source material, leaving many fans disappointed.

Although the Borderlands movie was widely criticized and cost the production companies a huge amount of money, the publisher of the Borderlands games (Take-Two) doesn’t seem overly worried. In fact, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that the movie’s poor performance might have even benefited the game series.

Take-Two CEO claims dire Borderlands movie actually “helped” franchise

Prior to Take Two’s earnings discussion scheduled for November 6, Zelnick conversed with IGN regarding the Borderlands movie’s performance. Although he acknowledged that overall, it was a “disappointing” project, he elaborated on how its limited cinema release significantly influenced the games in a substantial manner.

Zelnick stated that the catalog indeed saw an increase in sales. He doesn’t believe it had any negative impact; on the contrary, he suggests it might have provided some positive influence.

Developing film or television adaptations frequently serves as a means to boost video game sales, such as HBO’s Emmy-winning series The Last of Us from Sony, or the blockbuster Super Mario Bros. Movie by Nintendo. These productions encourage viewers to explore the original content, and the same was true for Borderlands, despite facing criticism.

Although it didn’t receive widespread acclaim or gross enormous amounts at the box office, the Borderlands film reportedly succeeded in attracting new followers to the franchise as a whole.

As we edge closer to Borderlands 4, the long-awaited addition to the popular first-person shooter series, which has been in development since 2019. The anticipated release date for this new installment is expected to be sometime between late 2025 and early 2026.

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2024-11-07 06:18