2024’s Borderlands film was an enormous flop on the field workplace, and Take-Two’s CEO has now reacted to this, readily acknowledging, “We failed.”
Talking at Enterprise Insider Reside, Strauss Zelnick mentioned Take-Two’s mission is to “make the most effective leisure on Earth,” and with the Borderlands movie, the corporate failed to satisfy that mark.
He mentioned the corporate “tried extremely onerous” on the Borderlands film, and identified that Take-Two didn’t truly lose any cash on it as a result of Lionsgate funded it. “However I’m right here to let you know, it was not the most effective leisure on Earth. We failed,” he mentioned.
The Borderlands film featured a stacked forged of massive names, together with Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Jack Black because the voice of Claptrap, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis. The movie was directed by Eli Roth, with Tim Miller stepping in for reshoots.
The Borderlands film made simply $15.5 million within the US and $17.5 million internationally for a complete of solely about $33 million worldwide.
Zelnick mentioned this in response to a query about why Take-Two doesn’t do extra when it comes to adapting its franchises for movie, TV, theme parks, and stay occasions. He mentioned Take-Two is “very selective” with regards to these sorts of tasks. “If our mission is to make the most effective leisure on Earth, we solely wish to make a film if it’s going to be the most effective leisure on Earth,” he mentioned.
However with the Borderlands movie, Zelnick mentioned, “We failed throughout our mission.”
“Tradition, like character, is examined within the breach. When issues are going nicely, it’s handy to say sure. However your take a look at is when there’s a problem. And also you both consider in your mission otherwise you don’t,” he mentioned. “So if we may be the most effective at one thing, and ship an exceptional expertise, we nonetheless must generate income whereas we’re at it. This isn’t a non-profit enterprise, and by the way in which, we’re not curing most cancers. I’m charged by my shareholders to ship a return, I simply consider the easiest way to ship a return is to do the finest work you’ll be able to.”
Whereas the Borderlands film didn’t work out, Take-Two isn’t giving up with transmedia efforts, as a BioShock film is now within the works at Netflix. The Starvation Video games veteran Francis Lawrence is ready to direct the film … if it ever occurs.