'In the Lost Lands' Exclusive Interview: Dave Bautista

Moviefone speaks with Dave Bautista about 'In the Lost Lands'. "George R. R. Martin's first film comes with a lot of pressure that I'm starting to feel."

Dave Bautista stars in 'In the Lost Lands'.

Opening in theaters on March 7th is director Paul W. S. Anderson’s (‘Alien vs. Predator’ and ‘Pompeii’) ‘In the Lost Lands’, which stars Dave Bautista (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’) and Milla Jovovich (‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘Resident Evil’), and was adapted from a short story by George R. R. Martin (‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘House of the Dragon’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Bautista about his work on 'In the Lost Lands', exploring the world of George R. R. Martin, the pressure that brings, acting opposite Milla Jovovich, and working on the VFX heavy project.

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(L to R) Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista in 'In the Lost Lands'. Photo: Vertical.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what was it like for you to explore the world created by author George R. R. Martin?

Dave Bautista: Well, my first reaction reading the script was, "I love Boyce because he's kind of that cowboy I'd been searching for." Even though this wasn't necessarily a Western, he just felt like he was ripped straight out of a Western. I loved that and I played him like that, and I thought about this film as, "This is my Western." Initially, that was what drew me to the character. I just thought Boyce was cool, he's a cool cowboy. Being George R. R. Martin's first film comes with a lot of pressure that I'm really starting to feel. It's a bit uncomfortable, but only because I want to live up to his standard, the standard that he set. He's obviously very successful and I'm a fan. I don't want to let people down, I don't want to let him down, and I don't want to let the fans down because I know they have high expectations. But those high expectations, they come with a price and that price is a lot of pressure.

(L to R) Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich in 'In the Lost Lands'. Photo: Vertical.

MF: Just to follow up, did you feel that pressure while making the movie or are you still feeling it now as the film is being released?

DB: I'm starting to feel it now because now it's starting to become real. Obviously, we did this film a couple of years ago and we've been going through the whole process of filming, edits, sales and whatnot. Now, because it's going to be released very soon, and I'm also starting to get feedback on the film, it's now real. Also, I really struggle with this and it's just a personal thing, but I always feel like I become a better actor, a better performer after every project. I've done this project, and we did a while ago now, so now when I go back and I look at it, I think, "Oh, I would've done this different. I would've done that different." I'm critiquing myself and I'm picking myself apart. That's just my self-conscious nature, I guess. But again, I don't want to let any of his fans down. He's obviously got a massive fan base and I don't want to let anybody down. So that's just the pressure that comes with it.

(L to R) Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista in 'In the Lost Lands'. Photo: Vertical.

MF: Can you talk about the bond that Boyce and Gray Alys create together on this journey and what was it like for you working opposite Milla Jovovich?

DB: It was awesome. I love Milla and I love her husband, Paul. They just made it so comfortable and just so easy. I had talked with Paul a lot before we did the film, and I knew that I was just going to have the time of my life working with him, but I didn't really meet Milla until we started filming. If I'm a fan of people that I'm working with, I always try to just get it out of the way, and I hope that they're receptive. If they're not, and it makes them uncomfortable, then I must approach things differently. But she was so receptive of it, and she never really treated me like I was just a fanboy. She treated me like I was her peer and her equal and her co-star, so it just felt super comfortable. So, these are the kind of experiences that you pray for as an actor because it's not always this great, but every day going to work on this film just felt like I was going to play with my friends. It was a very collaborative atmosphere and a lot of freedom. It was just fun.

(L to R) Dave Bautista, director Paul W. S. Anderson, and Milla Jovovich on the set of 'In the Lost Lands'. Photo: Vertical.

MF: Finally, when you are working on a project like this that is so VFX heavy, is there an adjustment you must make for yourself as an actor?

DB: There have been those experiences, but not so much on this one because even though I couldn't see the big world that was around me, a lot of the immediate world was there for us, it was on stage. Also, it's really about relationships, especially with Gray and Boyce. Working with Milla, you just kind of get sucked into those moments. The director worries about that, and he has his vision. He knows what that's going to be, but as an actor, I just kind of get sucked into what's there in front of me, what I can work with. I've had to adjust, but typically, they were on different projects. The Marvel stuff, there's a lot of adjusting, a lot of adjusting. Even somewhat with ‘Dune’, there was some adjusting, but this one, not so much. I think what we needed to work with as far as performers are right there in front of us, it was all there for us. It was made very easy. But also, this was a very no-pressure film. I didn't have that pressure of a big Marvel film or a big ‘Dune’-type film. There wasn't the same type of pressure. This was very much, I don't know, it felt like a family project where it was very contained and there were only a few people that I was working with every day and interacting with. So, it just felt very contained, very intimate, and very comfortable.

In the Lost Lands

R1 hr 41 minMar 7th, 2025

Showtimes & Tickets

A queen sends the powerful and feared sorceress Gray Alys to the ghostly wilderness of the Lost Lands in search of a magical power, where the sorceress and her guide,... Read the Plot

What is the plot of ‘In the Lost Lands’?

A queen, desperate to find happiness in love, takes a daring step: she sends the powerful and feared witch Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich) to the "Lost Lands" to give her the magical gift of turning into a werewolf. With the mysterious hunter Boyce (Dave Bautista), who supports her in the fight against dark creatures and merciless enemies, Gray Alys roams an eerie and dangerous world. And only she knows that every wish she grants has unimaginable consequences.