EntertainmentMoviesSci-Fi MoviesBorderlandsBorderlands director says he “could write a book” on his experience making the critically-panned video game movieWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesSci-Fi MoviesBorderlandsBorderlands director says he “could write a book” on his experience making the critically-panned video game movieWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Lionsgate)

Borderlands director Eli Roth has shared a cryptic reflection on making the movie.
The video game adaptationbombed at the box officeand received a frosty reaction from critics, too, with our ownBorderlands reviewawarding the movie just 2 stars.
“That was a whole other story,” Roth toldIndieWireof the movie. “Making that in COVID was like… I could write a book on that.”
He didn’t elaborate any further on his thoughts, but, from just these few words, it seems the process wasn’t all that smooth.
But, he did share his appreciation for horror movies. “I said, ‘If I’m going to make a return to horror, then it’s got to be with something that makes me hungry to do it again,'” he commented. “Now, I pretty much just want to do horror all the time… I could actually do horror movies for every holiday. I would just do them for the year. If someone was like, ‘For the rest of your life, all you’re allowed to do is holiday horror movies’? I’d go, ‘Great!’ and fill the calendar.”
Roth isn’t the only person who has indicated that Borderlands was a bumpy ride. “On Borderlands, nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong: it sat on the shelf for too long during the pandemic, and reshoots and rising interest rates took it outside the safety zone of our usual strict financial models,“Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said of the movie last month.
While you wait for Roth’s next movie, check out our guide to all the most excitingupcoming moviesleft in 2024 and beyond.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”