Borderlands is headed to streaming after epic fail: How much money did it make in theaters?

Borderlands is the biggest box office fail so far this year, which is probably not a contest the studio wanted to win when they released the sci-fi adventure. Another winning race that was not part of the plan? The number of days between the film’s theatrical release date and streaming release. It hasn’t even been two full weeks and Borderlands already has a VOD release date – and it’s set for the same month as its premiere. 

If you didn’t go see Borderlands on the big screen when it dropped in theaters on Aug. 9, you’ll be able to stream the movie from home on VOD beginning Aug. 30. 

Borderlands has only gathered $18 million worldwide

According to Forbes, Borderlands was put together with a budget of $120 million. The source notes that the sum does not include marketing and promotional costs. Since the movie’s theatrical release, Borderlands has only accumulated $18 million worldwide ($13 million domestically and $5 million internationally). By the time the movie arrives on digital platforms on Aug. 30, it will likely only have made $20 million against its $120+ million budget, making it a $100 million loss for the studio. 

The movie will make some money on streaming since it’s not going to be available for free on a streaming platform (such as Netflix or Max). It’s going to VOD, so you’ll have to rent or purchase the movie if you want to watch it. Still, it’s not going to make its money back. Not even close. 

Borderlands is based on a video game of the same name and follows a “ragtag team of misfits” who take on daring missions together. But their latest task is the most dangerous yet, rescuing a girl who holds unimaginable power before this falls into the wrong hands. The movie features a star-studded cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramirez, Jamie Lee Curtis, and others. 

Should the movie have been a direct-to-VOD debut? Perhaps a streamer release on Netflix? Part of the reason why the budget is so large is the cast. To say Lionsgate Films was a little too ambitious here by casting A-list names is an understatement. To make things even worse for the studio, Borderlands sits with a 10% Rotten score over at Rotten Tomatoes, yikes! 

Borderlands is playing in theaters now. Rent or purchase the movie on VOD starting Aug. 30.