Warning: SPOILERS for Monster Hunter.

Details about In the Lost Lands suggest that it could be one of Milla Jovovich’s best movies since The Fifth Element, but there are plenty of reasons to be concerned when considering the actor’s past box office failures. In the Lost Lands is based on a George R. R. Martin story, which is an exciting new project for the Game of Thrones creator. At face value, the endeavor looks good, but ultimately, it will have some big challenges to overcome.

The film casts Jovovich as a witch named Gray, teaming her up with hunter Boyce (Dave Bautista) in the search to find an artifact that will turn their queen into a werewolf. Gray has a monkey’s paw-style ability to grant wishes, which definitely promises to offer a unique take on witch stories. But while little else is known about In the Lost Lands’ story (specifically regarding how much it changes from the source material), details about the production itself do present some very clear reasons for concern. One of the biggest pertains to the sheer amount of money being spent.

Milla Jovovich’s In The Lost Lands Carries A Reported $55 Million Budget

Numerous Studios Have Already Paid Into The Movie’s Hopes For Success

In the Lost Lands was originally optioned for an adaptation in 2015 by Constantin Werner, but nothing actually happened with this plan for years. The initial idea was to combine the film’s story with other Martin stories such as “Bitterblooms” and “The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr.” Milla Jovovich was always planned to play the film’s lead, although Dave Bautista’s role was initially given to Justin Chatwin until they recast the part.

It wasn’t until 2021 that the movie got picked up again by Paul W. S. Anderson. The film was given a budget of $55 million, which ᴅᴇᴀᴅline reports as being split between 27 international distributors. For context, other fantasy movies have spent more with fewer hands in the money pot. Adjusting for inflation, Labyrinth’s $25 million budget would equate to more than $70 million today. This raises the obvious question of what In the Lost Lands intends to accomplish with less money than a Jim Henson movie. Based on Anderson’s past work, the answer is worrisome.

Milla Jovovich & Paul W. S. Anderson’s Last Movie, Monster Hunter, Was A Big Box Office Disappointment

Monster Hunter’s $47 Million Box Office Didn’t Come Close To Breaking Even

When Anderson directed Mortal Kombat in 1995, he showcased his penchant for giving fans just a little less than they want. One Mortal Kombat scene in which Sonya Blade fails to pull off her signature move demonstrates this perfectly. But Monster Hunter strays so far from the source material that it alienates both fans and newcomers alike. Instead of following a hunter in a fantasy world who fights monsters of all shapes and sizes across varied terrain, the film follows an Army Ranger as she meets three monster types and two hunters in an endless series of sand dunes.

Based on the cliffhanger ending (which curiously mimics Anderson’s Mortal Kombat), Monster Hunter was intended to earn a sequel. Instead, Monster Hunter failed to earn back its $60 million budget at the box office. It’s actually a decent movie for those days when thinking feels like the enemy of entertainment, and it has a couple of nice tributes to the source material. But gamers wouldn’t have seen those Easter eggs because the huge departure from the game’s premise and aesthetic turned them off immediately, while general viewers weren’t given the unique experience that a more loyal adaptation might have offered.

In The Lost Lands Will Likely Struggle To Recoup Its Budget At The Box Office

The Movie Doesn’t Command A Strong International Showing

As previously stated, more than two dozen distributors are hanging their hopes on In the Lost Lands’ success. None of them are from Japan, who may have learned their lesson after Toho got involved with Monster Hunter, but the others presumably haven’t walked that road just yet. Anderson’s films possess a unique charm for those of us who occasionally just watch movies as an excuse to eat popcorn, so it’s not entirely fair to blame him for any struggles In the Lost Lands might face. But there’s one obstacle to the film’s success that falls entirely out of Anderson’s hands.

In the Lost Lands won’t get more than a limited domestic release, which means that its international box office will ultimately decide whether it earns enough to at least break even. Since that necessitates doubling the budget, the film needs at least $110 million. With George R. R. Martin’s name behind it, there’s at least a snowball’s chance that it would find commercial prominence. With so many studios backing distribution, nobody will lose enough from its potential failure to shudder their doors. But with very little marketing ahead of a March 7, 2025 release, things are looking grim.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline