David Bridges
The Borderlands movie, which premiered last year, faced significant backlash, leading to a wave of criticism followed by a general sense of indifference. Many factors contributed to its lukewarm reception, and audiences may provide varied explanations for its shortcomings. However, director Eli Roth attributes part of the film’s challenges to the tumultuous period during which it was produced, particularly the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To provide some context, the filming of Borderlands began in 2021, coinciding with the early stages of the global pandemic. In a revealing conversation on a recent episode of The Town podcast, Roth shared his insights, explaining how the production team was unprepared for the complexity and unpredictability that the pandemic would introduce to the filmmaking process.
During that time, the chaotic environment created by strict distancing protocols severely hindered collaboration. Roth described how, due to these restrictions, the cast and crew could not engage in essential preparation activities in shared spaces. He lamented, “I couldn’t be with my stunt people or do pre-visualization work; instead, everyone was spread out, complicating the creative process.”
Roth elaborated on the logistical nightmare faced by the production, stating, “You have six people that are all on different sets, and every one of those sets is getting shut down because the cities have opened up.” The challenges associated with producing a large-scale, high-budget movie during such uncertain times proved to be daunting and humbling. Roth candidly admitted, “I think we all thought we could pull it off, and we got our asses handed to us a bit.”
The situation was further complicated for Roth as he was simultaneously working on his slasher film Thanksgiving in 2023. This meant that Tim Miller, director of Deadpool, had to step in to lead the reshoots for Borderlands in 2023. These reshoots included new material from writer Zak Olkewicz, which added to the rewrites already executed on Craig Mazin‘s original script from 2020.
By the time Roth transitioned to Thanksgiving, he became acutely aware of the challenges facing Borderlands, feeling as out of the loop as the audience. When he finally sat down to view the finished product, he described the experience as surreal, noting, “It was strange to watch my own movie, which I had directed and written, without having any idea of what was going to unfold.” Despite these challenges, his relationship with Lionsgate remained intact. However, the experience taught him valuable lessons about accountability and reinforced his desire to return to the horror genre.
[via Dark Horizons]
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Brandon Fletcher
