What does Borderlands IP owner think of bad movie reviews
Image Source: Take-Two/Gearbox Software

What Does the Owner of the Borderlands IP Have to Say About the Movie’s Bad Reviews?

The Borderlands movie is getting negative reviews, and you’re likely wondering what the owner of the IP thinks about the ordeal. Gearbox created Borderlands, but until recently, it was owned by Embracer Group. However, during a recent restructuring, Embracer sold Gearbox to Take-Two Interactive, and the deal was wrapped up on June 12, 2024, just in time for the company to enjoy the hot takes about the Borderlands movie. Surprisingly, the company has already commented on the situation; you can see what it said below.

What does Take-Two have to say about the Borderlands movie bad reviews?

Speaking with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick asked audiences to be open-minded despite the poor reception of the Borderlands movie by critics:

“Let’s give the film a chance. A lot of people worked really hard on it. The underlying intellectual property is phenomenal, the cast is amazing, I think the look and feel is really terrific. So let’s see what audiences have to say.”

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick

However, when asked whether the film’s potential failure would impact Take-Two’s success, Zelnick stated: “[…] no, the performance of the film wouldn’t have a financial impact on us or on the franchise one way or another.”

The Borderlands movie spent so much time in development hell that Take-Two likely wrote it off before even buying the studio. It had been shopped around since 2011, and it wasn’t until 2020 that Eli Roth was attached to direct. Filming finished in 2021 and the movie was in limbo until Tim Miller directed a series of reshoots in 2023. After that, the it sat on the shelf for another year before releasing on August 9, 2023.

While Take-Two is distancing itself from the film’s financial outcomes, Zelnick’s comments highlight a hope that public opinion might diverge from critical perspectives. The company appears to be positioning itself to preserve the Borderlands brand regardless of the movie’s reception. Randy Pitchford, president and CEO of The Gearbox Entertainment Company and semi-professional magician, has yet to comment on the situation.

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