‘Borderlands’ Director Eli Roth Blames COVID for the Movie’s Quality: “You can’t prep a movie on that scale over Zoom”

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2024’s “Borderlands” movie, helmed by Eli Roth, debuted with great expectations but ultimately fell short for most viewers and critics alike. Adapted from the beloved video game franchise developed by Gearbox Software, this film endeavored to breathe life into the anarchic, vibrant universe of Pandora.

Rather than finding success, it struggled with production difficulties, failing to resonate with audiences. Consequently, it garnered only 10% on Rotten Tomatoes and managed to earn a modest $33 million, while its budget was significantly higher at around $110–120 million.

Filming for this project started in Budapest, Hungary, back in April 2021, right when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height. The health crisis caused a lot of trouble, as it led to numerous set shutdowns due to outbreaks and restrictions that kept the team from meeting up in person. Key tasks like coordinating stunts and visualizing scenes ahead of time became quite challenging under these circumstances.

Later on, I found out that orchestrating reshoots turned out to be a real challenge for me, with team members stationed in various locations and unable to gather together physically. Trying to prep the movie using Zoom didn’t work as planned because the sheer size of the project required hands-on collaboration rather than remote coordination.

Roth stated, “We didn’t foresee how intricate the situation with COVID would become for us. It wasn’t just about production; we had to do additional shoots or reshoots, but six different sets were affected because cities reopened, and now there was a COVID outbreak. We couldn’t gather in one room to prepare, I couldn’t work with my stunt team, I couldn’t create pre-visualization, everyone was scattered everywhere. Preparing a movie of this scale over Zoom proved impossible, and we believed we could manage it, but we ended up learning a hard lesson.

After the movie was made, it didn’t stop encountering issues. Even the final version wasn’t supervised by Roth anymore as he had already started working on Thanksgiving. Instead, Tim Miller took over for a fortnight of additional filming in the year 2023. The script went through numerous changes, with writers like Craig Mazin and Joe Crombie contributing at various points along the way.

Supporters of the game found themselves discontented by alterations to cherished characters. For instance, Tiny Tina, a widely adored figure, was transformed into a genetically engineered “chosen one,” and Lilith’s status as a siren was unveiled as a plot twist instead of a defining characteristic. Claptrap, the eccentric robot, underwent a darker transformation that didn’t resonate with viewers.

Regardless of an impressive lineup featuring Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, and Jack Black voicing Claptrap, the movie failed to gain traction. Its debut in the U.S. and Canada generated a meager $8.6 million, significantly lower than anticipated.

As a movie-goer and critic, I must admit that I found this film falling short of my expectations. The action sequences were underwhelming, failing to capture the electrifying essence that the game is renowned for. It seems the creative team missed an opportunity to truly unleash the wild energy that made the game a global phenomenon. Reflecting audience sentiment, the “D+” CinemaScore suggests a sense of collective disappointment among viewers.

It’s worth mentioning that despite the movie not being a complete flop for the Borderlands series, its CEO, Strauss Zelnick of Take-Two Interactive, pointed out that it actually increased sales for Borderlands 3. In fact, the number of players on Steam nearly doubled following the release. However, he underlined the importance of being cautious when planning future adaptations.

As a die-hard fan of Borderlands, I can’t help but reflect on the challenges faced in bringing this cherished game to the big screen during unprecedented times like a pandemic. The team’s determination was undeniably evident, yet veering too far from the original source and grappling with logistical turmoil seemed to have impacted the final outcome. This experience serves as a poignant reminder that preserving the essence that fans cherish is just as crucial as navigating the obstacles of production.

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2025-04-14 13:14