MOVIE NEWS – After battling the Umbrella Corporation across six Resident Evil films, Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson are now diving into George R.R. Martin’s mythical universe in their latest epic, In the Lost Lands. Like many of Martin’s works, this story is steeped in legends and lore, but Anderson and Jovovich made a conscious decision to leave many questions unanswered. Anderson explained to MovieWeb, “Mystery is one of the most important elements.” Jovovich agreed, adding, “It’s mythology, it’s fantasy, and it’s about magical creatures that humans can never truly understand.”
Jovovich takes on the role of Gray Alys, a powerful sorceress embarking on a perilous journey into a monster-ridden land at the request of a young queen. As with any great fantasy world, there are rules, deep lore, and hidden details, but Anderson deliberately avoided over-explaining:
“One of the weird things about filmmaking is that studios always demand answers. They ask, ‘But why?’ And sometimes, there just isn’t an answer. What makes a movie great is leaving room for questions… ‘What did that mean? What was her true intention?’ That’s what keeps a film alive in people’s minds.”
Jovovich needed a degree of clarity to portray her character, but even she preferred to keep some things ambiguous. “There are still so many things I don’t know about Gray Alys,” she admitted, noting her lifelong love for mythology and fantasy. “Where is she from? What’s her backstory? We had to come up with our own ideas just so I could get into the mindset.”
Since In the Lost Lands is based on a short story, Anderson had to expand it into a feature-length film. “We consulted with George [R.R. Martin] throughout the process,” Anderson revealed. “Every draft was sent to him for approval. Milla, meanwhile, was the one pushing to explore the character deeply—but only enough to portray her, not to erase the mystery.”
Will They Return to In the Lost Lands or Resident Evil?
The world crafted by Anderson, Jovovich, and Martin is rich with potential. Martin himself confirmed that, depending on the audience’s response, he would be interested in expanding the Gray Alys narrative. As for Anderson and Jovovich, they’ve already proven their ability to turn films into long-running franchises. Even though they seemingly closed the chapter on Resident Evil, Anderson is open to revisiting it:
“Would we come back? Milla loves the character, I love the franchise, and we dedicated a lot of our lives to it. So, never say never.”
Jovovich echoed the sentiment: “Every world has uncharted corners we didn’t explore, but someone else might. It’s wonderful to keep a great story going, especially when it has such a passionate fanbase.”
Source: MovieWeb
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