The 2024 “Borderlands” movie faced significant challenges at the box office, grossing only $33 million and receiving a lukewarm critical reception. Despite these commercial and critical setbacks, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford remains optimistic about future transmedia ventures.
In an interview, Pitchford expressed his willingness to pursue another cinematic adaptation, provided the right creative team and compelling ideas emerge at an opportune moment.
He stated, “My philosophy is, if there are exceptional creators, artists, and entertainers with a story to tell, and they believe `Borderlands` is the perfect canvas for it, and they can demonstrate that capability, I want to empower them. Success isn`t guaranteed, but we must continue to take chances.”
Pitchford further drew a parallel with The Beatles, one of history`s most renowned bands, noting that even they didn`t produce a hit with every single song—at least not to his personal taste.
“I adore The Beatles, and while they have an extensive discography, there`s certain music of theirs I simply cannot listen to. I find it unlistenable. Should we then conclude, `You`ve created an unlistenable track, therefore, cease making music altogether`? That`s not the right approach; one must keep creating,” he explained.
During the same interview, Pitchford clarified that his involvement as director would not have improved the “Borderlands” film. In fact, he claimed the movie would have been “considerably worse” under his direction.
“I assure you, if I had directed that movie, it would have been a catastrophe,” he affirmed.
The “Borderlands” movie`s box office disappointment did not financially impact Gearbox, as Lionsgate studio fully funded the production. Industry reports indicated that the film cost $120 million to produce, with an additional “tens of millions” allocated to marketing. Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer was candid about the film`s poor performance for the company.
Feltheimer remarked, “Almost everything that could go awry, did go awry. It lingered too long in development during the pandemic, and subsequent reshoots combined with rising interest rates pushed it beyond the safe parameters of our standard financial models.”
The “Borderlands” film struggled despite being based on a well-established franchise with a dedicated fanbase, featuring a star-studded cast including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis, and backed by a major Hollywood studio like Lionsgate. Blanchett herself mentioned her decision to join the project was partly to escape her home during the Covid pandemic.
Regarding the game series, Borderlands 4 is set to release on September 12 for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, with a separate PS5 launch in October.