Hollywood might have finally got the memo on how to do a video game adaptation right. The Super Mario Bros Movie was incredibly faithful to the source, stuffed full of references to Nintendo history, and has ridden that to an astonishing $1.3 billion worldwide box office haul.
But another high-profile video game movie might be in serious trouble. On paper, Borderlands was shaping up to be a success. It’s written by Chernobyl and The Last of Us‘ Craig Mazin, directed by Cabin Fever and Hostel‘s Eli Roth, and features a truly star-studded cast including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Borderlands went before the cameras back in early 2021 and wrapped in June of that year, though we’re nearly two years on and we don’t even have a trailer yet. Reports are that test audiences have hated the movie, with the consequence that Roth has been sidelined as director, with Deadpool‘s Tim Miller brought in reshape the movie.
Lionsgate has claimed that this is apparently due to Roth having a scheduling conflict with his upcoming Thanksgiving, and he’s given his blessing for Miller to take over reshoots. That said, anyone with any knowledge of how Hollywood works must know that none of this bodes well.
We also don’t know if those reshoots ever actually took place. If they haven’t by now (and there’s no evidence they have) then the producers must also grapple with the ongoing writers’ strike that will naturally slow up the process even more. So, with the film in murky waters, the studio going dark on promoting it, and there not even being a fixed release date, it’s safe to assume that trouble is on the horizon for Borderlands.
Here’s hoping they can turn this beleaguered project around.