Though he's known for the long stretches between his works, George R. R. Martin has more than The Song of Ice and Fire in his catalog. He wrote a ton of popular short stories and novellas over the first 25 years of his career. "In the Lost Lands" will be the first of these early works to make its way to the big screen, though it's had a messy journey to get there.
In the Lost Lands was meant to be adapted into a feature film back in 2015 when Game of Thrones was airing its fifth season, but the project fell through. As it stands, though there's still limited information regarding the film, fans should look for it this October.
What is George R. R. Martin's "In the Lost Lands" about?
Set in a traditional western fantasy world, "In the Lost Lands" follows a witch and a warrior in the titular desolate windy plain. Powerful sorceress Gray Alys offers the endless power of magic to anyone who can afford it. Her customers approach her with a wish, often something beyond the range of traditional possibility, and she makes it happen. Her gifts always come with a price, like a human monkey's paw. To grant her latest customer's request, she'll have to leave the comfort of her remote home and make her way into the Lost Lands. To escort Alys into danger, she recruits a mysterious young warrior named Boyce and finds more in common with him than with her clientele.
As a short story, taking up only about 45 minutes in audio form, "In the Lost Lands" packs a lot into its brief tale. Martin has made it clear that he intended to turn the story into a series, covering the future adventures of Gray Alys. He planned to come up with a few more short stories, then throw them together into a single fix-up novel, as was the style at the time. However, those sequels never came. Instead, the story sits as a single clever fantasy tale and a great exploration of its two central characters. It'll take a bit of work to bring the story to feature length, but there's enough depth to make something great out of "In the Lost Lands." The director chosen to create that adaptation is unexpected, to say the least.
Who is directing In the Lost Land?
Paul W. S. Anderson is stepping into the world of Martin's beautiful fantasy story. The director best known for questionable adaptations of video games might not be anyone's first choice for this particular story, but he's the name attached. When the film was pitched in 2015, Constantin Werner was the chosen director. Werner stays on as screenwriter, sharing the title with Anderson. As a director, Anderson primarily works in adaptation, but he hasn't worked in this particular genre much. His most recent project, the 2020 adaptation of Monster Hunter, received mixed reviews. Many critics cited Anderson's direction as the primary weakness of the film. However, Anderson does have some more prestigious titles in his filmography.
Though it was considered a bit of a mess back when it was released, Paul W. S. Anderson's 1995 adaptation of Mortal Kombat is now seen as a fun fantasy film. It didn't capture everything fans wanted from the classic fighting game, but it got the broad strokes. Much has been made of the messy Resident Evil film franchise, but the 2002 original is still a fascinating horror/action film. Even Alien vs. Predator has a lot of strong elements. Anderson is a strange filmmaker, but he could surprise fans with his take on Martin's work.
Who is starring in In the Last Lands?
As anyone familiar with Anderson's work will know, the director has eyes for only one leading lady. Anderson's wife Milla Jovovich will be taking the role of Gray Alys. Jovovich, like Anderson, has a mixed history in the public eye. Her performance in the Resident Evil franchise is often a bit uninspired, but she's often the best part of the challenging projects she finds herself in. The Gray Alys role bears some resemblance to her recent performance as Vivienne Nimue in the 2019 Hellboy reboot. Jovovich has the voice, the look, and the unique energy for the role.
Opposite Jovovich, Dave Bautista joins the project in the role of Boyce. He doesn't really fit the look of the character, who is described more like a laid-back Jon Snow type, but he brings plenty of charisma to the part. Bautista has been making a run at more serious films, but it's good to see him still eagerly taking weird genre projects. The two big stars will be flanked by Simon Loof, Arly Jover, and Amara Okererke in supporting roles.
In the Lost Lands is a fairly simple fantasy story that will soon be taking the long and winding journey to the big screen. It might be a bit different from the most popular George R. R. Martin properties, but it has his distinct style in spades. Fans eager to see Anderson take on Martin can expect the film later this year.