An abysmal record
With the film receiving particularly harsh reviews, audiences weren’t going to tempt fate. Released last August, during the peak summer blockbuster season (while Deadpool & Wolverine was a hit), Borderlands got off to a ridiculous start, grossing just $16.5 million in its first week. A score it barely managed to double in a month, since according to figures shared by The Numbers, Borderlands now has $32.6 million at the box office.
The reason it’s being brought up now is because its run is already over. Movies tend to be released earlier and earlier on VOD in the US, especially if they don’t work, and Borderlands didn’t even wait a month before arriving on rental platforms. It was released on VOD on August 30th across the Atlantic, just three weeks after its theatrical release. Which means that today, its box office result should not really climb any more.
$32 million for a film that would have cost $115 million, It is a spectacular failure, one of the most resounding of 2024. The film’s marketing and distribution budget alone would be $30 million. It would have brought in only $15.48 million at the American box office, the most important territory for its profitability. Let’s remember that to be profitable, the film would not have had to just exceed its production and marketing costs, but double or even triple this investment. We refer you to the excellent video from Ecran Large to understand how to analyze the results of a film at the box office.
So it’s a lot of money lost, but also the end of a shared universe. Because yes, Randy Pitchford (Gearbox), always in the delusions of grandeur, wanted this film to launch the cinematic universe of the saga. Missed.
