Dave Bautista was pumped to play a 'dark, sexy' lead in a fantasy flop
Dave Bautista was all in for the 2025 fantasy film 'In the Lost Lands,' despite its eventual box office failure. Per /Film, he told Variety the role was a welcome change, letting him step into a cooler, more romantic leading man part than he'd done before.
He described the character as a mysterious drifter in the vein of a classic gunslinger. Bautista said director Paul W.S. Anderson pushed him to embrace a smoldering, charismatic persona, joking that his job was to win over every woman in the movie.
The film, which adapts a George R.R. Martin short story, stars Milla Jovovich as a sorceress and Bautista as her guide through a dangerous wilderness. It was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
However, the project tanked financially, grossing only $6.5 million globally against a $55 million budget. It's also considered one of the poorer adaptations of Martin's work.
Bautista's enthusiasm for the part, however, remains undimmed by the film's reception. He saw it as a chance to break new ground and show a different side of his acting range.
