Eli Roth Blames COVID For Borderlands Movie’s Box-Office Struggles

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It’s common knowledge that the Borderlands movie didn’t excel in its performance, with both audiences and critics panning aspects ranging from the cast to the dialogue. Some of those involved even found it disappointing – writer Craig Mazin was so dissatisfied with the final product that he asked for his name to be taken off the credits. More recently, director Eli Roth has shared insights into the issues that arose during production, identifying the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant contributor to the film’s negative feedback.

During a recent episode of The Town podcast, Roth was queried regarding Borderlands. At first, he appeared reluctant to provide a comprehensive response, stating that discussing the matter might result in someone being portrayed unfavorably, typically the director.

Roth shared that he hadn’t disclosed his initial reaction upon seeing the complete version of the movie, which managed to earn just $33 million globally. It appears the director himself was uncertain about the reception his work would receive as he settled down to watch it.

For the first time, Roth expressed feeling unsure about watching a film he had both written and directed, saying, “It was a unique experience for me, something I hadn’t encountered before. I recall thinking, ‘Is this stage in my career where I’ll be sitting down to watch a movie that bears my name as director, and I genuinely don’t know what will unfold?’

Roth expresses his openness to collaborating with Lionsgate again on a future project, but he emphasizes that he would not wish to be in the same circumstances as during the production of Borderlands, specifically referring to the constraints imposed by the pandemic.

Roth expressed his openness to collaborate with Lionsgate once more, but only under different circumstances. He added that the complexities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic were not foreseen. It wasn’t just about filming; pick-up shots or reshoots also posed challenges as six different sets were affected by shutdowns due to COVID outbreaks in the cities where they were located.

During filming, one of the major hurdles Roth encountered was the inability to work alongside his actors and production team physically. He stated, “We couldn’t prepare [the film] together in a room, I couldn’t be with my stunt performers, I couldn’t do pre-visualization, everyone was scattered everywhere.” In simpler terms, he meant that they were unable to plan the movie collectively and they underestimated the difficulty of doing so remotely, leading to some unexpected challenges.

Although a follow-up film for Borderlands isn’t expected shortly, the game series it originates from remains active, with Borderlands 4 set to debut on September 23. For updates regarding the upcoming Borderlands game, explore our comprehensive guide on Borderlands 4.

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2025-04-15 17:09