I’m willing to give the movie a chance, as it’s unfair to judge it solely based on the trailer. Even though my expectations aren’t high, I’m curious to see how the movie interprets the source material, despite the negative online reception. However, I’m concerned by Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford’s description of the movie as the “first of the Borderlands Cinematic Universe.”
The prospect of a two-hour movie without the shooting and downtime balance found in the games is troubling. Pitchford claims that the movie isn’t an adaptation of the games, but rather a new creation borrowing characters and themes while establishing independent storylines, including the introduction of new characters like Deukalian Atlas, CEO of the Atlas Corporation. Although I’m not bothered by the movie deviating from a straight adaptation, I’m alarmed by Pitchford’s ambition to create a larger cinematic universe, especially given the prolonged production time and predicted lackluster performance of the first film.
In today’s media landscape, viewers are hesitant to commit to large interconnected franchises. The idea of starting a cinematic universe before gauging the reception of the first film, especially considering the production’s contentious history, seems ill-advised. While video game adaptations may be popular, successfully replicating the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s success at this stage seems unlikely.
It’s doubtful that we’ll see a Borderlands Cinematic Universe come to fruition, and the likelihood of the movie receiving a sequel is uncertain.
