“Borderlands” has a terrible score on Rotten Tomatoes

When it debuted in 2009, the video game was an immediate hit, spawning two sequels that were equally beloved by fans.

Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox, the company that created “Borderlands,” told Entertainment Weekly in July that he began talks about making a film adaptation in 2011.

Thirteen years later, the film opened in theaters on Friday and stars Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black and Kevin Hart.

But the casting wasn’t enough for that. One critic said it was an “insult to gamers, film lovers and carbon-based life forms”, while others questioned whether it was the worst film of the year.

Some critics questioned why Oscar winners Blanchett and Curtis starred in a mediocre and decent action film.

With 57 reviews as of Friday morning, the film still only had a 7% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and four positive reviews, while the audience score was a disappointing 48%.

Lionsgate will want to make a profit back on the $110-120 million.

Many fans on social media blamed Eli Roth, the film’s director and co-writer, for its failure. However, other factors like scenario changes can also be to blame. Business Insider has reached out to Lionsgate representatives for comment.

“Borderlands” was remade by another director.

Video game and toy adaptations often take many years to develop because they have to please the director, movie studios, and original creator.

“Borderlands” has been in development since 2015, but there was no significant progress until 2020, when Eli Roth was hired as director.

In July, EW reported that comedian Aaron Berg originally wrote an R-rated script for the film (the current film is PG-13). But the script was later rewritten by Craig Mazin, co-creator of the Emmy-winning TV series “The Last of Us,” Deadline reported in 2020.

Then, after production wrapped in June 2021, director Tim Miller reshot scenes so Roth could focus on his 2023 horror film Thanksgiving, Deadline reported in January 2023. The publication listed Roth as co- writer in the article, suggesting he rewrote it. part of the script.

“Bullet Train” writer Zak Olkewicz was later brought in to rewrite the script for the remakes, The Hollywood Reporter reported that month.

Then things started to get weird.

In July 2023, Mazin’s name was removed from the film’s co-writer status on the Writer’s Guild of America website and replaced with a person named Joe Crombie.

Crombie’s identity is unknown, and this is his only credit, which led to rumors that he was a pseudonym for Mazin. Mazin denied the claims in an interview with Variety and said he could not claim “authority” for the film.

The WGA website now lists Crombie and Roth as the screenwriters of “Borderlands.” However, the website said Berg, Olkewicz, “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson and four others contributed additional material.

That means they didn’t write enough to get writing credits, but they still contributed to the script. Mazin’s name is not connected to the script at all.

Other changes came after several actors were cast in 2021 but left out of the final film, such as Cheyenne Jackson and Charles Babalola as notable game characters Wainwright Jakobs and Sir Hammerlock.

Critics complained that the characters were “one-dimensional” and the story felt rushed and confused, which could be the result of all the script changes and reshoots.

Fans and critics have higher expectations for video game adaptations

Video game adaptations have historically been mediocre at best.

But in recent years, a number of adaptations have been well-received and even nominated for awards, such as “The Last of Us,” “Fallout,” “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”

Many fans and critics have also compared “Borderlands” to beloved films such as “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Mad Max” and “The Suicide Squad.”

These days, critics and fans alike expect better from game adaptations.