There’s no sugarcoating the Borderlands movie’s success–specifically the lack thereof–at the box office this year. Even Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick knows the “film was disappointing,” but there is a silver lining: The action flick led to an uptick in Borderlands video game sales.
During a company earnings call, Zelnick touched on the Borderlands movie, which earned a shockingly low amount of money after a month in theaters. “Even though the film was disappointing, it actually benefited our catalog sales. So that is a sign that making a movie or a television show based on our very high-quality IP can drive catalog sales, and that can be a good thing,” said Zelnick.
This isn’t the first time Zelnick has commented on the Borderlands movie. After reviews panned it upon release, the Take-Two CEO asked people to “give the film a chance.” Additionally, Zelnick has explained that Lionsgate financed the Borderlands movie, not Take-Two. “All that said, we’re really selective, and one of the reasons we have been so selective about licensing is we would really prefer that everything that comes out with our brands in it is really, really successful,” the CEO said.