Borderlands Movie’s Streaming Success May Be Its Saving Grace

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Summary

  • Borderlands movie, initially a box office flop, found success on streaming services.
  • The film has attracted a new audience, potentially leading to increased interest in the game series.
  • Initial negative reception may ultimately be overshadowed by a positive streaming performance that helps the franchise expand.

It’s often the goal of adaptations to broaden a franchise’s fanbase beyond its initial medium and rekindle enthusiasm among long-time fans. Whether Gearbox’s Borderlands movie was intended for this purpose is somewhat questionable, but it seems certain that they had some ambition to tap into an audience the video game series hasn’t reached since its launch. Sadly, the film didn’t fare well at the box office and was met with criticism from both fans and critics, suggesting it didn’t succeed in generating much interest in the Borderlands franchise beyond the gaming world.

Despite a less-than-impressive run on the big screen last August, the Borderlands movie has been doing well lately on streaming platforms. This suggests that there remains an interested audience for this film, despite its initial poor reception in cinemas. Consequently, the Borderlands movie could potentially broaden the franchise’s fanbase, generating more interest in the games and priming longtime fans for the release of Borderlands 4.

The Borderlands Movie Might Actually Expand the Franchise’s Audience

The Borderlands Movie Is Performing Well on Streaming Services

To my delight, it seems that the Borderlands movie has been garnering quite a positive response on various streaming platforms! As I type this, you can stream it on STARZ, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu via their STARZ add-on. If you prefer to rent or buy it outright, you’ll find it available on Vudu and Apple TV. Though I don’t have the latest figures for how the movie is faring on STARZ, Hulu, Vudu, and Apple TV, the numbers I’ve seen regarding its reception on Amazon Prime Video are more encouraging than some of us might have initially thought!

Although the Borderlands movie hasn’t fared well in theaters, its impressive performance on streaming platforms indicates that a dedicated fanbase remains for it.

Following a less-than-impressive initial cinema run, the Borderlands movie has seen a surge in popularity, notably on Amazon Prime Video. In the UK, upon its debut on this streaming platform, Borderlands swiftly climbed to become one of the most-viewed titles, holding the top spot among movies and ranking fourth overall in terms of viewership. At the very least, this suggests that the film has found a place for itself somewhere globally, implying it may not be as terrible as initially perceived. In fact, the preconceived negative publicity could have unfairly impacted its reputation, casting a dim light through which some viewers approached it with skepticism.

The Borderlands Movie’s Streaming Performance Might Direct More Eyes to the Games

It’s possible that one primary goal for the Borderlands movie wasn’t just to grow the franchise’s fanbase, but that’s often true for adaptations. Minimally, it likely reminded series fans about the games and perhaps even prompted them to replay them before and after its streaming release. With its unexpectedly positive response on streaming platforms, this effect might have been amplified, potentially attracting new players to the video game series since its premiere on Amazon Prime Video.

Initially, it seemed like the Borderlands movie failed to grow the franchise’s audience, but its recent surge in popularity on streaming platforms indicates that its influence might be greater than initially thought. If the film maintains its momentum on streaming services, it could potentially act as a gateway for newcomers to explore the Borderlands series, demonstrating that an uncertain beginning doesn’t always predict the final outcome.

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2025-03-19 16:37