Back in August 2024, gamers and cinephiles around the world got their first look at Borderlands on the big screen. This adaptation, starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart, ended up being a stinging failure, grossing just $32.9 million at the global box office having spent a budget of approximately $150 million.

Director Eli Roth recently addressed this major setback during an interview with Variety. He attributes the failure to studio executives, who he claims had scenes deemed too mature cut from the final film in order to secure a PG-13 rating for theatrical release.

"As things grow bigger, studios just naturally become more risk averse. My nature as a filmmaker is to do the thing that’s left of center, because that’s what has worked for me.

You got something that belonged to nobody. 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."