With Hitman: Agent 47 having only made $15 million in its first two weeks of release here in America, now doesn't exactly seem like the best time to be announcing new projects based on video games. That, however, doesn't seem to be stopping the folks over at Lionsgate, as they are now working alongside Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and Gearbox Software to make a big screen adaptation of the title Borderlands.
Lionsgate officially announced the project via a press release, noting that the movie is being developed as a tent-pole feature that has Spider-Man producers Avi and Ari Arad attached to shepherd the project. A first-person shooter available to play on both Playstation and XBox consoles and PCs, the Borderlands series launched in 2009 and has produced two direct sequels: Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! To date, more than 26 million copies have been sold around the world.
Not to be confused with the Avatar series, the story of Borderlands is set on an abandoned planet called Pandora and follows a player's character as they go on a search for an incredibly valuable vault filled with advanced alien weapons and technology. Unfortunately, the aliens that created this stuff are extremely dangerous, leaving the character's regularly fearing for their lives. The game functions as a first-person shooter - which is to say it takes place from the perspective of an armed-person - but involves role playing game elements such as character building. The Borderlands titles have earned positive receptions from critics, with the tone and sense of humor being notable elements.
As much as critics and gamers may love playing Borderlands, however, one has to wonder if it can actually function as a big screen film. The video game movie genre is famously terrible, and to date not a single major release has managed to earn critical success. On beyond just reception, though, the titles have also had their fair share of struggles at the box office. In the last few years, the most financially successful adaptation domestically was Need For Speed, and that ended its theatrical run having only made $43 million on a $66 million budget. The good news is that the genre has experienced tremendous success in foreign markets, with Need For Speed actually adding $159 million to its worldwide total thanks to non-U.S. box office.
Given the rough history of films based on video game, we're forced to ask: is a Borderlands actually a good fit for Hollywood? Answer our poll below, and hit the comments section with your thoughts.
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