Director Eli Roth has broken his silence on the box office performance of the Borderlands movie, suggesting that studio interference and a compromise on its intended rating led to the film becoming "something that belonged to nobody."
With a production budget reported at $120 million, excluding marketing costs, the film garnered a disappointing $33 million at the box office. Roth, known for his work in horror with films like Cabin Fever and Hostel, expressed that his natural inclination as a filmmaker is to "do the thing that’s left of center." However, he indicated that the decision to aim for a PG-13 rating for Borderlands, rather than embracing the more mature tone expected by fans of the games, proved detrimental.
"You got something that belonged to nobody," Roth told Variety. "It’s not a kids’ movie, but it’s trying to appeal to everybody. It’s for gamers, but it doesn’t have the violence the gamers want because it can’t be that extreme because it costs too much. You just wind up with a movie that’s neither fish nor fowl."
The Borderlands video games are rated M (Mature 17+) by the ESRB, though their violence is often stylized and cartoony, aligning with a cel-shaded aesthetic. Roth's comments suggest a creative disconnect between the source material's spirit and the final cinematic product.
Roth has since moved on to his latest project, the comedy slasher film Ice Cream Man. He has stated that this new film was made independently, implying greater creative control.