While 2025 has had its share of big hits in the cinema world, one film that has greatly underperformed, both critically and financially, was In the Lost Lands, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, starring Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista. The film was based off of a George R. R. Martin short story, centered around a witch named Gray Alys, played by Jovovich, who is searching for a gift to give to her queen, and along the way, meets Dave Bautista’s character, Boyce, a mysterious hunter.
In the Lost Lands‘ reviews paint a dire picture for the latest Paul W. S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich collaboration, and the film’s dismal box office means that there is absolutely not going to be a continuation of this universe. However, while In the Lost Lands‘ star Bautista certainly won’t be returning to this role anytime soon, there is a very similar role in an iconic Stephen King property that is about to get another adaptation that Bautista could now be perfect for.
Dave Bautista’s In The Lost Lands Character Is A Lot Like The Dark Tower’s Roland
The Two Characters Are Very Similar To Each Other
Despite In the Lost Lands‘ terrible reviews, it successfully managed to mash up many genres, with elements taken from many different worlds and stories, from classic westerns to high fantasy, which all combine to make the film feel like a mix of many different ideas. There are werewolves and monsters fighting alongside cowboys and gunslingers, and it is all set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland that is ruled by an Overlord and their church. In the Lost Lands incorporated plenty of different genre themes, in a very similar manner to Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series.
Visually, the characters have the same gunslinger look, with the classic cowboy hat and duster.
In addition to the similar worlds between these series, Dave Bautista’s character in In the Lost Lands was very similar to the main character of The Dark Tower, Roland Deschain. Both characters are sci-fi fantasy cowboy gunslingers, using their skills to face off against various threats and monsters. Visually, the characters have the same gunslinger look, with the classic cowboy hat and duster, and also act quite similarly, being men of few words who have a very singular focus, sacrificing everything else in order to succeed in their mission.
In The Lost Lands Proves Dave Bautista Could Be A Great Roland For The Dark Tower’s Reboot
Bautista Put On A Good Performance Despite The Movie’s Failings
While The Dark Tower had a film adaptation not too long ago, the series is being rebooted yet again, helmed by Mike Flanagan, best known for his many Netflix horror series like Midnight Mᴀss. Very little has been announced about the new reboot, aside from the fact that it will be a series instead of a film, as the series is still very early in development. In the Lost Lands wasn’t great, but Bautista still brought his best to the role, proving that he could be a great option for the main character in The Dark Tower reboot.
Amazon bought the rights to make a Dark Tower adaptation in 2018, but that project was scrapped in 2020, with the rights being picked up by Flanagan in 2022.
Seeing as Roland and Boyce are very similar characters, it would absolutely make sense that he would be a great choice for Roland in the new series. Since his breakout role as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Dave Bautista has taken on plenty of varied and unique roles, trying his best not to be stuck taking the same kind of roles over and over again, and an iconic western gunslinger would be a great addition to his filmography, especially if the series turns out as well as some of Mike Flanagan’s best work.
The Dark Tower Could Be Dave Bautsita’s Next Big Franchise Since In The Lost Lands Won’t Be
Dave Bautista Could Earn A Starring Role In A Huge Franchise
Even though Bautista has definitely been trying to diversify his career recently, he is clearly open to appearing in big franchises, and The Dark Tower could be his next big franchise. In the Lost Lands certainly could’ve been a franchise if it had been a success, but now that it has come and gone without making any sort of impact, the film is likely doomed to be forgotten, leaving both Bautista and Jovovich without any big franchise to fall back on if more of their upcoming films don’t managed to hit like they need to.
The Dark Tower is a very expansive series, made up of nine books over the course of 30 years, so if Bautista managed to take the lead role in that series, he could be the face of a big franchise for years to come. He does have a solid relationship with Denis Villeneuve, appearing in Blade Runner 2049 and both Dune movies, meaning that he could earn a bigger role in one of his upcoming movies, but if not, The Dark Tower would be a great replacement for the failure of In the Lost Lands.
