Warning: The following contains spoilers for In the Lost Lands!In the Lost Lands‘ Gray Alys star Milla Jovovich explains the meanings behind her character’s tattoos. Adapted from George R.R. Martin’s short story of the same name, Paul W.S. Anderson’s fantasy feature follows Jovovich’s wish-granting sorcerer and a royal-employed hunter, Boyce (Dave Bautista) as they travel to the Lost Lands to harness the power of a shapeshifter.
In an interview with GQ, Jovovich unveils what Gray Alys’ tattoos mean. Created by the makeup artist, Lena Zieba, the actor reveals that the tattoos are “Icelandic runes” and contain every crew member’s name. However, Jovovich imagines that the in-universe explanation for the tattoos are the names of the people whose wishes Gray Alys has granted.
We definitely wanted her to have tattoos. Our amazing makeup artist, she was Icelandic, so she knew Icelandic runes. She was able to make these temporary tattoos out of them, and she actually just spelled out every one on the crew’s name. When you see Gray Alys, if you know how to read Icelandic runes, you can read all the people who worked on the movie.
It looked amazing. For me, it was like every time she grants somebody a wish, a rune appears, like that was my thought process behind it. I just loved that she was cheeky and sneaked all the crew members’ names in there.
What This Means For Gray Alys’ Tattoos In The Lost Lands
It Adds Depth To The Character’s Cursed Nature
In the George R.R. Martin adaptation, Gray Alys is a cursed sorcerer who can’t say no to those who seek her help. She knows the full extent of the outcomes of the wishes that come true, and the wish itself is a curse that harms the one placing the wish. The tattoos, being names, add another layer to the cursed nature of the wishes and those who come to her for help. Though it being crew members’ names is an interesting fact about the movie, Jovivich’s in-universe explanation offers an insight into the burdens that Gray Alys carries. With every wish she grants, it leaves a permanent mark on her skin.
In the same interview, Jovivich shared that she has a lot of questions for Gray Alys, who has lived so long that she doesn’t necessarily remember where she’s from. The language used in the tattoos offers a possible explanation of the origin behind Gray Alys’ curse, but at the same time, adds to Gray Alys’s mystery. The actor has previously shared her love of Greek mythology and Egyptian and Norse myths, which she used to prepare for playing Gray Alys.
Our Take On Gray Alys’ Tattoos
It Could Represent Her Powers’ Origin
In the Lost Lands‘ fantasy world is organically created. Medieval influences, spaghetti Western, and Christian iconography can all be spotted in the movie, where werewolves, witches, and other mystical creators exist. Gray Alys is a familiar figure in European folklore. The tattoos on her being Icelandic runes actually make a lot of sense, and at the same time, lead to more questions about her past. Gray Alys is nearly impossible to kill, but instead of presenting herself as an all-powerful witch, her first appearance is her innocence and seemingly harmless nature until she crosses paths with an enemy.
The true extent of her power is something still yet to be explored. It’s only until the end of In the Lost Lands that Gray Alys reveals that she can see the future. In the movie, Gray Alys can turn someone else into a magical creature. It’s even possible that she once sought a sorcerer to grant her magical powers since the Icelandic runes represent the power of the spoken and written words, imbued with Norse mythology.
Source: GQ
