Director Eli Roth explained that growing production costs and studio interference caused the video game adaptation Borderlands to fail at the box office. The movie premiered in summer 2024 as an adaptation of the cult shooter series by studio Gearbox. It received mixed reviews from critics and viewers, earning a modest $33 million against a budget of $120 million.
Two years after the release, Roth recalled what went wrong during production. He said the budget for the film kept rising, which made studio Lionsgate increasingly hesitant to take risks. As a result, the filmmakers had to cut down on violence, delete several scenes, and lower the age rating to PG-13.
Production cuts and final edit
Roth said that releasing movies like Borderlands creates something that appeals to no one. He noted that while it is not a children's film, it still attempts to attract all audiences. He explained that the movie was aimed at gamers but lacked the violence they expected because extreme scenes were too expensive and dangerous, leaving the final product as neither fish nor fowl.
Roth also stated that producers at Lionsgate held control over the final edit instead of him. He said this process produced a very bland movie that nobody wanted.
