Projects dreamed up by actors who really want to work together can run the risk of becoming bloated vanity projects. Yet ‘The Wrecking Crew,’ spawned from an idea by leads Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa, manages to avoid most of those traps by being exactly what you might expect.
Front-loaded with action and powered by the charisma of its main men, ‘The Wrecking Crew’ harbors no illusions as to what it is –– dumb, fun and full of chaos.
Writer Jonathan Tropper (‘This is Where I Leave You’), is more normally known for his cinematic work alongside Shawn Levy, but while his movies have been more emotional and spiritual, his TV work, especially ‘Banshee’ has more of a connection to this film.
The style here is adrenaline-fueled action comedy with a healthy dollop of comedy to leaven our heroes slaughtering squads of henchmen as they investigate their father’s suspicious death.
Though you could probably guess the entire plot before the credits have finished, it’s entirely disposable and not the selling point.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto keeps things light and nimble, and if it ends up a little overstuffed for such a slim premise, it doesn’t suffer.
This really is the Bautista and Momoa show, the pair sharing some crackling chemistry as long-estranged brothers –– one a taciturn Navy SEAL who prefers to go by the book, the other a maverick cop with a penchant for leather jackets and throwing empty beer bottles.
They really do pull this thing along on their shared shoulders, but the likes of Jacob Batalon, Stephen Root and Morena Baccarin all get decent material to work.
It’s often vulgar, violent and has a storyline you could note on a napkin, but ‘The Wrecking Crew’ also has throwback charm and action bedlam that adds up to decent entertainment value.
Two estranged half-brothers, Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) are forced to reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they set out to uncover the truth, buried secrets resurface and loyalties are tested, unveiling a conspiracy that can tear their family apart.
Together, they are ready to wreck anything that gets in their way.
(L to R) Jacob Batalon, Morena Baccarin and director Ángel Manuel Soto discuss ‘The Wrecking Crew’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Morena Baccarin, Jacob Batalon, and director Ángel Manuel Soto about their work on ‘The Wrecking Crew’, Soto’s first reaction to the screenplay and the challenges of balancing the action and comedy, how Baccarin prepared for her action sequences, and Batalon’s experience improvising with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Moviefone: To begin with, Ángel, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the challenges of balancing the right tone beteween comedy and action?
Ángel Manuel Soto: I think the first reaction when I read this screenplay was that the action and the comedy was very well laid out. Jonathan Tropper is an amazing writer, he has mastered that, but what really convinced me to take this movie on was that the action and the comedy, the way I saw it, those were honestly masks that our characters were putting on to hide their childhood trauma. I saw that as an interesting approach to add some subtext to the humor and the action. Also, given that I love of these high testosterone, alpha male driven action movies that avoid emotion, with this movie, the cathartic moment between the brothers, it embraced their vulnerability. I felt like it’s an important aspect of human nature that needs to be further exploited so that we can see that yes, you can be a bad ass, you can be funny, and you can be crass, but you can also have a heart. For me, that was very important because in this world that we’re living in, being able to find points of connection, even within our differences, I think it’s an important topic to tackle. But also finding a story that might inspire people to make amends with other folks or their family members. I feel like that was cool and just the fact that on a different level, it also talked about the displacements of the indigenous people of Hawaii, which is something that I can talk personally about as well because we face the same issues in Puerto Rico. It felt like a great excuse to be able to talk about a topic that affects millions of people worldwide.
MF: Morena, can you talk about preparing for your action sequences and having the chance to go toe to toe with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista in those scenes?
Morena Baccarin: It was so fun. It was one of the things that really attracted me to this part was she’s so bad ass in her own way and they don’t expect it or nor do you see it coming. In the preparation for this movie and how she dressed. We wanted to make sure to not reveal that she had a ton of tattoos, or she was as bad ass as she was until the moment it comes out. I was a little surprise. But I have to say prep wise, it was minimal in the sense that we shot all my driving action sequences in a studio in a car that was static, which had its own challenges. I didn’t know simple things like your thumbs stay up when you’re driving that fast because you don’t ever want the wheel to really turn and break your thumbs. I had an amazing stunt performer who was a driver, and she taught me so much about making it look like I was really driving. It’s counterintuitive, but if you’re in a car and you’re turning, you got to remember that your body goes the opposite direction when you’re driving then when you’re in the passenger side. So, little things like that were helpful, and I could have used maybe five more days for that, but I didn’t have it. So, if you see something that looks wrong, it’s not my fault.
MF: Finally, Jacob, can you talk about your onscreen chemistry with Jason and Dave, and did you improvise a lot in those scenes? What was it like riffing with the two of them on set?
Jacob Batalon: I think we improvised a lot. I think I barely said anything on the page. But at the same time, Ángel allowed us to go off and they’re fun. I am literally like their little brother in a literal sense because I’m short compared to them. But they also love to get into the game and play around and joke with each other. I think that made it easy. Again, everyone’s so professional and so fun that it just seemed very simple to go in, do our thing and just make it fun.
Two half-brothers, a loose cannon cop (Jason Momoa) and a disciplined Navy SEAL (Dave Bautista), must work together to unravel a conspiracy behind their father’s murder in Hawaii.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jonathan Tropper about his work on ‘The Wrecking Crew’, developing the script with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, writing for them specifically, the buddy cop genre, balancing the comedy and action, director Ángel Manuel Soto’s contributions to the script, and how he feels about actors improvising on set.
Tropper also discussed his work on the upcoming ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’, what it’s like writing a ‘Star Wars’ movie, what fans can expect from the new film, and what will surprise them the most.
‘The Wrecking Crew’ screenwriter Jonathan Tropper.
Moviefone: To begin with, I understand that you developed the idea for the movie with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista. Can you talk about that and what it’s like writing specifically for them?
Jonathan Tropper: We all worked together on a show called ‘See’ on Apple TV, and that’s where I really discovered them. ‘See’ was a pretty serious drama. I mean, it was an action show, but it was a lot of drama. Their roles were very heavy and very dramatic. But the minute the camera stopped rolling; they were just so funny. The banter between them, their appreciation for comedy, and their love for comedy. They both have this desire not to just be seen as monolithic action heroes, but to also do human characters and do comedy. So, we had talked a lot about that, and we had also all discovered our mutual love for the action movies of the late ‘80s and the early ‘90s, in particular Shane Black’s movies. So, we’d always talked about stuff like that. Then we went our separate ways after the show and staid loosely in touch but forgot about it. Then Dave put out that Tweet, which started the whole ball rolling again. I don’t remember who reached out to who first, but I remember in speaking to Jason, he already had a strong idea of wanting it to be estranged brothers, he wanted them to be dealing with daddy issues and he wanted it in Hawaii. He wanted to really show the underbelly of Hawaii and not to show the touristy version of Hawaii. So that was already in place. Dave had some ideas about his character as well. I took that whole thing and then began creating the story. I went out to Hawaii and Jason knows a lot of people out there. I was able to meet a lot of people, see the important places and learn some of the history so that I knew how to weave in what I needed to weave in. It just felt very organic, and it happened quickly. From the time Dave put out that Tweet, to the time we were out there pitching it and selling it and then writing it and making it. As far as movie development goes, it happened fast.
MF: The movie gives off major ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘Tango & Cash’ vibes. Can you talk about your love for the buddy cop genre and other films that influenced you?
JT: I think ‘Lethal Weapon’ was a big influence for us, for sure. I think that’s the one where we all kept saying “’Lethal Weapon’ in Hawaii, right?” We all talked about that and ‘48 Hrs.’ and even movies like ‘Running Scared’. I know Ángel our director has mentioned that movie once or twice. But it’s movies that retain the grit of an action drama while you’re doing comedy. There’s just a great dissonance to the comedy being put in this gritty setting, which is something I’ve loved about all those movies. It’s life or death stakes. It’s gritty, it’s dirty. The action is, incredibly visceral and at the same time, it’s funny. So, I think there’s a rich history. We certainly didn’t invent or even reinvent the genre, and we kind of leaned into the tropes of it. We just wanted to celebrate it.
MF: Can you also talk about the tone of the script and finding the right balance between action and comedy?
JT: For me, it always starts with character, and these are two brothers who have a share trauma that goes back to their childhood that instead of bringing them together has torn them apart. So, that’s the beating heart of the movie. I think Jason and Dave’s performances really do convey that. For me, that was always the most important part, the comedy, you could always dial that up or down in the dialogue and in the set pieces, but to me, the most important part was to make sure the beating heart of the movie was the relationship between these two brothers. So that’s where I put my primary focus and having just worked with those guys for a long time, I kind of know the rhythms of their speech. So, it was fun to write for them but that was the easy part. The important part was just tracking their emotional journey together.
MF: I was surprised by how funny Jason and Dave are in the movie? Did you realize how funny they were, and did you play into when writing the script?
JT: Yeah, that’s what I discovered on set when we were doing ‘See’, was like they were doing such heavy dramatic stuff, but the minute the camera stopped rolling, they’re funny guys. They love being funny. They don’t want to be seen it as monolithic action heroes. They want to be seen as actors. They love comedy and I know Dave’s also doing a lot of drama now. I think, like everyone else, they just want to be pushed creatively into areas that they don’t normally get to do. Jason’s been doing a bunch of companies lately, but I think together the distance between the two characters leads to a lot of comedy.
(L to R) Jonathan Tropper, Angel Manuel Soto, Jacob Batalon, Lynn Harris, Jeffrey Fierson, Morena Baccarin and Jason Momoa attend the Amazon MGM Studios ‘The Wrecking Crew’ New York red carpet screening event on Thursday, January 15, 2026 in New York.
MF: Actor Jacob Batalon has said that he improvised a lot on the set of this movie. As a screenwriter, how do you feel about actors improvising and not saying the words you wrote?
JT: I’ve been lucky that in most cases, they follow the basic rhythms of the script, but bring their own imprimatur to it. Jacob is a funny guy, and I’m always happy to take credit for good improvising. If it doesn’t work out, and sometimes it doesn’t, then it’s the editor’s job and the director’s job to figure out what works and what doesn’t. But the kind of improvising Jacob was doing, I never could have written for him because I didn’t know him. I didn’t know his voice. I don’t have his history. But he was doing something that was authentic to who he is and who that character was and so it only made it better, I think.
MF: Can you talk about working with director Ángel Manuel Soto and did he have ideas that you added to the script?
JT: Ángel is a very powerful creative force. He comes in with a lot of ideas, and he’s also willing to go the distance on ideas before he figures that out if they work or not. So, there was a lot of work with Ángel, and I even went out to New Zealand to do work with him. But there’s a lot of trying things and there’s a lot of exploring things. I know Ángel saw a lot of similarities between Puerto Rico and Hawaii in terms of their histories. It was important to him that we capture some of that in the script. So, I think the real work for me began then because writing the first draft was almost too easy. When he came on board and started pulling threads and trying to really find what he wanted. It led to a lot of great stuff, and it was a lot more work. I’ll also tell you that I had written that whole car chase with the helicopter and everything. But then he sits down and goes, “Well, let’s put these guys on a motorcycle,” and he came up with a whole addition to it. The whole middle section of that action set piece was all his idea. He has a good eye for action. I think this script was important to him for a lot of reasons.
(L to R) Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray on the set of ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’. Photo: Shawn Levy/Instagram.
MF: You wrote the upcoming ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’, directed by Shawn Levy. What was it like for you writing a ‘Star Wars’ movie and getting to “play in that sandbox”?
JT: It is every bit as exciting as I hoped it would be, and it is also a lot more work than I thought it would be. It was really one of the probably toughest, most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. It’s just so much bigger than anything I’ve done because of the history, because of the mythology, and because of the apparatus that comes with it. It was always exciting and had a million pinch me moments but at the same time, it was a lot of work.
MF: Finally, what should ‘Star Wars’ fans expect from the new film, and what do you think will surprise them the most?
JT: I would say that fans should expect something new and different, but in very much the spirit of the original ‘Star Wars’ movies. We really wanted adventure, excitement, wish fulfillment and the joy that we felt as little kids seeing those first versions of the movies. Anything that grows for generations develops a lot more mythology and weight in history. I think we just wanted to go back to the joy and excitement of how it felt when we were kids seeing these movies.
Two half-brothers, a loose cannon cop (Jason Momoa) and a disciplined Navy SEAL (Dave Bautista), must work together to unravel a conspiracy behind their father’s murder in Hawaii.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Bautista about his work on ‘Trap House’, developing the project as a producer, balancing the action with the father/son story, his advice for young actor Jack Champion, fanboying over Bobby Cannavale, and his close working relationship with director Michael Dowse, as well as sword training to play The Kurgan in the upcoming remake of ‘Highlander’, and joining Jake Gyllenhaal for ‘Road House 2’.
(L to R) Dave Bautista and Bobby Cannavale in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your work on ‘Trap House’ as a producer and the challenges of getting this movie made?
Dave Bautista: I’d have to go back to how this happened. So, a buddy of mine who works for the NSA now, but he’s kind of been around law enforcement. He was in the military, he’s been a cop, he worked for the DOD, and he worked for Federal law enforcement. Now he’s at the NSA. Anyway, he came to me with this idea. He said, “Hey, I got an idea. I wanted to run by you. It’s about a bunch of DEA agents and they’re seizing drugs and money from drug dealers. These kids, they’re just looking for a wild ride, so they start robbing the money from their parents. I said, “I don’t love that. I don’t love the kid stealing from the government. What about this?” So, I came up with the idea of the kids really needing the money, not just wanting the money or wanting to be on the wild ride but needing the money to help a friend. They start robbing drug dealers that their parents were investigating, because their parents of course they’re not going to suspect their kids. But I like the idea of turning into a three-way kind of cat and mouse. So that’s originally how it started. Then I’d done a film called ‘Final Score’ with the producer who I ended up producing ‘Final Score’ with, Marc Goldberg. So that’s how I pitched the idea to him, and he said, “I love that idea. Let’s a hire writer, and let’s do it”. So, that’s how it all initially started. When I read the first draft, it was very different from what I turned it turned out to be, because I it was originally more like ‘The Fast and the Furious’. I wanted it to be kind of that meets ‘Stand by Me’. I wanted it to be an adventure for the kids who kind of get in over their heads. But I wanted there to be some innocence to it and that’s kind of how it started. It took years to get the script to where we wanted it to be, and even then, there was still a rocky road after that. This was a hard film to make.
MF: Can you talk about balancing the film’s father and son story with the action and thriller aspects of the movie?
DB: That’s what we wanted it to be. We wanted it to be about strained relationships, but we always wanted it to be told from the kids’ point of view. I didn’t want the parents to be the star of this film. I wanted the kids to be the stars of the film. I also thought, I just wanted it to be fun, because sometimes, especially I found out with wrestling, you want the bad guy to get away with it. The kids, they’re not doing the right thing. They’re not doing the best thing. They’ve gotten themselves in way over their heads. But we went through drafts where one of the kids got shot, and I was like, “No, we can’t do that.” In one draft the kids got arrested, they went to prison, I was like, “No, we can’t do that.” It’s one of those things where it is just a fun film. This is not a documentary. We just want to have fun. We want kids to have fun watching this film. We want it to be a popcorn film. We want it to be entertaining. But it’s built a bridge between a father and his son who, where their relationship is strained and they’re trying to figure out how to bond. Then that’s how they got through all this mayhem. That’s the way my character was able to express his love to his son, which his son had never noticed before. He always thought he’d put his job first but Cody really knows that he’s sacrificing everything because he loves his son so much.
(L to R) Sophia Lillis, Jack Champion, Whitney Peak and Zaire Adams in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
MF: Can you talk about creating that father and son relationship onscreen with Jack Champion?
DB: It was so easy. Jack and I bonded immediately. We’re kind of from the same neck of the woods, and he was really starting to get into boxing and stuff. So, we had something to talk about and it just happened organically. We went and trained before we started filming. We worked out together and you really get to know people if you work out together. So, we bonded immediately. I also thought, he’s just such a nice, cool, humble kid, and I’ve worked with people in Hollywood who started out young and I feel like they lose a connection with people. They kind of get sheltered, they get in a bubble, and they lose interaction with people. Jack didn’t have any of that. He was just super friendly and humble, and he really wanted to learn. I thought, man, this kid he’s a leading man. He kind of looked at me like a mentor on this film and to be honest with you, I kind of loved it. So, we had good conversations and I thought, he’s going to have a future in this business. I wanted to share with him some of the stuff that I learned along the way, and just hope he’s on the right path throughout his career and treats people great. I really believe in treating your crew great. They don’t make as much money as you do, and they don’t get the spotlight that you do, but they are working twice as hard as you do. They’re there before you get there, and they’re there after you leave. I believe that. I learned that from WWE. I’ve always carried that with me, and I try to pass that on to anybody who will listen. Since Jack is young in this business and impressionable, I wanted to share that with him, that sentiment, that’s the way I look at filmmaking. That’s the way. That’s the attitude I go to work with. Be nice to people, courteous to people, respect people and then build that kind of positive environment. In the hard days, that kind of environment, it pays off because it’s not like somebody’s working harder than somebody else. We’re all working. We’re all on it together. We’re in this fight because days on films get long and they get hard. You’re missing your family and you’re not sleeping well and you’re not eating right. So, if you build that relationship with people and keep it in a real positive environment, that starts from the top all the way down, then you get a good environment which will translate into good filmmaking. Hopefully, good filmmaking. But you know at least everybody’s on the same page and we’re trying to create a quality project. Everybody’s got their heart invested in it.
MF: What was it like working with Bobby Cannavale and what did you learn from watching the way he approaches a character?
DB: I was trying not to fanboy too much. Bobby’s a quiet guy. He’s not a big talker, and I have a thousand of questions to pick his brain about, especially his stage work. He’s a real guy’s guy. He’s super into sports and he’s super handsome, which is obnoxious. He’s a New Yorker, too, so he’s just a little rough around the edges. But he’s quiet and he’s to himself. He’s super low maintenance, doesn’t have an entourage with him, and he reads a lot. But I picked my spots and just kind of picked his brain about acting and stuff. I was such a big fan of his because I thought his portrayal of his character on ‘Boardwalk Empire’ was just so fearless. I just loved it so much, and so I wanted to pick his brain about that, but also about stage work because I aspire to do stage work. But I my relationship with him, it all built from a foundation of respect for what he’s done and the person he is, because he’s just a good solid dude, and super talented.
(L to R) Dave Bautista and Bobby Cannavale in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
MF: I know that you have worked with director Michael Dowse in the past, what was it like reuniting with him on this film and what do you enjoy about the way he directs?
DB: We have a relationship. Michael and I go way back. We did a film called ‘Stuber’ together, which I’ve got a chip on my shoulder because I I’ve always felt like that film was super underrated. We just got smashed in the box office. I think people weren’t sure what the film was. It’s just my opinion, but I don’t think I was a big enough name to carry the film, but I still think it’s just a great film. It’s a fun film. We were also boxed between massive films like ‘Toy Story 4’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’. So, we just got smashed. But Mike saved us on this film because Mike stepped in last minute. We had a director and he dropped out weeks before we were supposed to start filming. So, I called Mike and I said, “Hey, we’re just in a jam.” He just jumped on it. Mike’s the type of guy who just knows what he wants. Again, he’s good to people and always has a good energy, but he’s just good at relaying what he wants. He makes things simple. He’s clearly the boss when he’s on set, he just has a vision. You never guess, who’s the boss? You’re never looking around, trying to figure it out. Like, who should I go to? Mike is the boss when he’s on set. So, people have a lot of respect for him, and I do as well. So, at that point, because we were behind and without a leader, we needed a leader and Mike stepped in and really kind of saved us. So, I always love him, and will be grateful for him for that, and other things as well, but most mostly that.
MF: What can you tell us about preparing for your upcoming role as The Kurgan in the remake of ‘Highlander’? Have you started sword training yet?
DB: I’ve been sword training for just about three months. It’s tough. This film is not going to be anything anybody’s seen before. I think this script is amazing. I don’t often get like super excited about scripts. I usually read scripts and then I start to think, how can we fix this? How can we make this better? There’s something there, but how can we elevate it? Not with this one. When I read it, I just got it. It was great. The characters were elevated, and there’s a lot of nods to the original, but it is very different. Also, the action on this is going to be ridiculous. I mean, it’s ‘John Wick’ amplified because it’s just never been done. Obviously, there’s going to be swords. I don’t think that’s going to a spoiler alert. There’s going to be swords, but it’s a lot of very stylized sword fighting. I mean, Chad (Stahelski) has been thinking about this for a very long time. Our ten-to-fifteen-minute meetings turn into two-hour conversations because I think he’s been obsessing over this film for years now. So, I think people are going to be really excited about this. I hope they are. I can’t wait for people to see the first trailer because I’ve seen mockups and I get goosebumps. I’m a fan of the original, and not every film should be remade, but this one had such a great and interesting premise. At the time, I don’t think it smashed box office records, but it’s got a bit of a cult following. But I want more people to be familiar with it and I’m sure this new film is going to be a box office smash, but I hope that it will bring attention to the original because I’m a massive fan of it and Clancy Brown. I got big shoes to fill, and I will be honest and say that I’m super nervous about it. I’m a little self-conscious because Clancy was in his 20’s when he played The Kurgan, and I’m over here in my 50s trying to fill his shoes. Those are big shoes to fill. So hopefully I do it justice, but I can say that it won’t be from lack of hard work because I’ve been working my butt off. I’ve been pursuing the role of The Kurgan for probably ten plus years, and so it is the dream role.
(Left) Dave Bautista stars in ‘In the Lost Lands’. (Right) Clancy Brown as The Kurgan in ‘Highlander’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
MF: Finally, what has it been like joining ‘Road House 2’ and working with Jake Gyllenhaal?
DB: It’s great. This is a dream. I always tell people, I kind of measure my career by who I’m working with. I’ve been a fan of Jake’s for a very long time, and I told him that years ago because we had a mutual friend and he stuck us together on a FaceTime call. I was like, “Man, I’m a huge fan. I went, long before ‘Road House’ was even a conversation, to see him in ‘Othello’ on Broadway with Denzel Washington. I went back and talked to him, and he just blows me away. He’s a real actor. He’s the real deal. So, to think that I can say that I I’m working with him, if not to anyone else, it says to me something personally about where my career’s at, and it means a lot to me. I’ve never been an accolades guy, but when I can get respect from my peers and peers that I hold on to a pedestal, that means more to me. Plus, he’s a good dude. He’s just a great guy. He’s super down to earth, funny and smart, and just super talented. We’re having in depth conversations about things we’re doing in scenes, looks, mannerisms, backstories, and that’s what I love about acting.
‘Trap House’ opens in theaters on November 14th.
What is the plot of ‘Trap House’?
In El Paso, Texas, an undercover DEA agent (Dave Bautista) and his partner embark on a game of cat and mouse with their own teenage children, who are using their parents’ tactics and intel to rob a dangerous cartel.
Doug Liman is developing his own ‘Road House’ sequel.
It would be based on a script by the 1989 movie’s writer R. Lance Hill.
This would be a rival for Amazon MGM’s sequel to the 2024 remake.
Here’s an intriguing twist on the ‘Road House’ saga.
Doug Liman, who directed the 2024 remake but ended up disagreeing with studio Amazon MGM over its release on Prime Video instead of theaters (more on that below), is developing his own new ‘Road House’ movie.
That would be a completely different project from the sequel to the remake that Amazon MGM has in the works even now.
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According to Deadline, Liman has acquired the rights to R. Lance Hill’s sequel script ‘Road House: Dylan,’ which follows up the events of the 1989 original, starring Patrick Swayze as bouncer Dalton (Hill wrote that movie too).
(L to R) Casey Affleck, director Doug Liman and Matt Damon on the set of ‘The Instigators’. Photo: Apple TV+.
Liman made a deal to direct what became the 2024 ‘Road House’ which starred Jake Gyllenhaal as a new version of Dylan, this one a UFC fighter who starts working at a roadside bar as a bouncer to stop the local thugs and corrupt businessman trashing the place.
The original plan –– and Liman’s agreement –– was for the movie to hit theaters. It tested well enough to be a sleeper theatrical hit, but Amazon decided it would be released directly to Prime Video.
While Liman and producer Joel Silver even screened the picture for Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and his now-wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos, Amazon creative execs would not yield.
There was even a PR conflict, as Liman placed a Deadline article complaining about the move, but did attend the premiere. And the movie became a streaming hit, the biggest film debut ever with a record-breaking 50 million worldwide viewers in its first two weekends on Prime Video.
This new potential sequel is fraught with its own issues, as there is disagreement over who owns the rights to Hill’s original ‘Road House’ script and anything spawned from it.
What’s the latest with Amazon’s ‘Road House’ sequel?
And there is another new recruit for the follow-up to the 2024 Prime Video release, as Deadline brings word that Aldis Hodge, recently seen as the star of the company’s ‘Cross’, is now also aboard.
The 1989 original, directed by Rowdy Herrington, starred Patrick Swayze in the story of a roadside dive called The Double Deuce, a sleazy music joint in the small town of Jasper, Missouri, “the kind of place where they sweep up the eyeballs after closing”.
The owner, tired of his place being wrecked by muscle-bound “power drinkers” and provocative bimbos, hires the best bouncer in the business (Swayze’s Dalton) to cool things down. Famously, he starts off charming but doesn’t hesitate to take extreme throat-ripping measures when pushed to his limit.
For the 2024 re-invention, with Doug Liman this time in the director’s chair, Gyllenhaal took on the slightly adjusted role of Dalton, this time a former UFC fighter looking to find new meaning in his life who finds work as a bouncer at a property owned by Frankie (Jessica Williams).
The movie became a big hit for Amazon, drawing 2.3 million households between March 21st, which is when it was added to the Prime Video library, and March 24th.
At Amazon’s Upfront presentation last May –– where it promotes its upcoming movies and shows to advertisers to encourage them to purchase pricey spots on its service –– the company announced that a ‘Road House’ sequel was in the early stages of development.
Will Beall is at work on the script for the sequel, which is a mystery for now –– though a mid-credits scene in the 2024 movie showed Conor McGregor’s villain Knox wreaking havoc at a hospital and escaping unscathed, so presumably that rematch is something that could well be picked up for the new movie, though that plan might be scuppered given that McGregor has recently been embroiled in some legal scandals.
When will the ‘Road House’ sequel be on screens?
Prime Video has yet to confirm when the new movie might arrive, but given the initial reboot’s success, we suspect this new one might also skip theaters and head instead straight to streaming.
It’s fair to say that the Marvel movies, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe releases, have reached “cultural event” status. And there’s a strong case to be made that the MCU is a currently a pop culture juggernaut, the likes of which we haven’t since the original ‘Star Wars‘ trilogy hit theaters for the first time.
It is a great time to watch the Marvel movies in order now and you can watch them all on Disney Plus in 4K format. You can even plan virtual Marvel movie nights with your friends using Disney+ GroupWatch feature.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
During World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a sickly man from Brooklyn who’s transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) – Adolf Hitler’s ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a mysterious device of untold powers for world domination.
The story follows Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) scours the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with a new, deadly foe.
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances – and confront powerful enemies.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
When Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
After the cataclysmic events in New York with ‘The Avengers’, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), aka Captain America is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie). However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron (James Spader) emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Doctor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Following the events of ‘Age of Ultron’, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans), which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Following the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’, Peter Parker (Tom Holland), with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture (Michael Keaton), emerges.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’
King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne by factions within his own country as well as without. Using powers reserved to Wakandan kings, T’Challa assumes the Black Panther mantle to join with ex-girlfriend Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), the queen-mother, his princess-kid sister, members of the Dora Milaje (the Wakandan ‘special forces’) and an American secret agent, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under her wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
Just when his time under house arrest is about to end, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) once again puts his freedom at risk to help Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) dive into the quantum realm and try to accomplish, against time and any chance of success, a very dangerous rescue mission.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization and his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung).
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest – Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Teaming with other Multiverse Spider-Men (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), they must now work together to take out the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and other Spider-Man villains from around the multiverse.
The Eternals are a team of ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. When an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows, they are forced to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
On a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the Guardians head to Earth in search of the perfect present. The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Quill the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), along with with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) , and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam (Anthony Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
Dave Bautista is circling a role in the ‘Road House’ sequel.
Jake Gyllenhaal will be back as Dalton.
Guy Ritchie’s directing.
We’re starting to learn more about the follow-up to last year’s ‘Road House’ remake, which saw Jake Gyllenhaal as a former MMA brawler who turned his skills to stopping drunken rumbles at the titular locale.
Gyllenhaal will be back, of course, and this time around, Guy Ritchie will be the one calling the shots (and the pints, presumably, since it’s set at a bar).
The 1989 original, directed by Rowdy Herrington, starred Patrick Swayze in the story of a roadside dive called The Double Deuce, a sleazy music joint in the small town of Jasper, Missouri, “the kind of place where they sweep up the eyeballs after closing”.
The owner, tired of his place being wrecked by muscle-bound “power drinkers” and provocative bimbos, hires the best bouncer in the business (Swayze’s Dalton) to cool things down. Famously, he starts off charming but doesn’t hesitate to take extreme throat-ripping measures when pushed to his limit.
For the 2024 re-invention, Gyllenhaal took on the slightly adjusted role of Dalton, this time a former UFC fighter looking to find new meaning in his life who finds work as a bouncer at a property owned by Frankie (Jessica Williams).
Anthony Bagarozzi & Charles Mondry wrote the new movie took place at a rough-and-tumble roadhouse in the Florida Keys, but “soon discovers that not everything is what it seems in this tropical paradise.”
Directing that one was Doug Liman, and behind-the-scenes drama, as producer Joel Silver was removed for aggressive behavior, Liman denounced the plan to release the movie direct to streaming (he’s since made peace with the idea) and a lawsuit from the writer of the original that claimed the new movie was simply a grab at keeping the IP.
Still, the movie became a big hit for Amazon, drawing 2.3 million households between March 21st, which is when it was added to the Prime Video library, and March 24th.
At Amazon’s Upfront presentation last May –– where it promotes its upcoming movies and shows to advertisers to encourage them to purchase pricey spots on its service –– the company announced that a ‘Road House’ sequel was in the early stages of development.
This is what Amazon film boss Jennifer Salke said at the event:
“As we saw this spring the world went crazy for a little movie called ‘Road House’. Nearly 80 million viewers globally have watched ‘Road House.’ We like to watch this these results like a baby.”
Will Beall is at work on the script for the sequel, which is a mystery for now –– though a mid-credits scene in the 2024 movie showed Conor McGregor’s villain Knox wreaking havoc at a hospital and escaping unscathed, so presumably that rematch is something that could well be picked up for the new movie.
There is no information yet as to a release date for the new movie.
But perhaps the more interesting question is, where will the ‘Road House’ movie be on screens? Given the success of the 2024 outing, there’s a big chance that Amazon could decide that the best place for a follow-up is to premiere right alongside it on the Prime Video streaming service.
But with the company’s much-vaunted commitment to theatrical releases, as touted during its CinemaCon presentation last week, perhaps having a Gyllenhaal movie in cinemas is no bad strategy –– especially if it drives people to then check out the movie on streaming. We’ve a feeling, though, that it’ll be the former option.
(L to R) Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich in ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
No one is ever going to mistake filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson for, say, Paul Thomas Anderson. Or any other cinematic craftsperson of note for that matter. But with his latest misfire, ‘In The Lost Lands,’ Anderson veers precipitously close to drawing comparisons with the likes of Uwe Boll – not a pleasant prospect for a director once capable of at least some moderately enjoyable C-level fare like ‘Event Horizon’ or that one ‘Resident Evil’ entry you liked.
Based on a 1982 story by George R.R. Martin – one of the ‘Game of Thrones’ mastermind’s earliest attempts at fantasy – ‘In The Lost Lands’ wants to be an epic. But Anderson’s ambitions (he shares screen story credit with scriptwriter Constantin Werner) exceed his grasp perhaps more so than ever before, stranding stars Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista in a sludge of cheap CG, flat characterizations, and a nonsensically convoluted narrative. Two months into 2025, ‘In The Lost Lands’ is easily one of the year’s worst and a new low for its creators.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Dave Bautista, director Paul W. S. Anderson, and Milla Jovovich on the set of ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
Untold years after human civilization has destroyed itself, leaving only ancient ruins, Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich) is a witch with the ability to create illusions in people’s minds. She is also unable to refuse anyone’s wish or request – for a price — among other somewhat nebulous talents. Alys is tasked by the Queen (Amara Okereke) of the City Under the Mountain – the last refuge of humankind – with venturing into the Lost Lands outside the city limits in order to find a rumored werewolf; Gray Alys, you see, can somehow draw out the creature’s shape-shifting powers, which Queen Melange covets (this is a future where science and magic are interchangeable to some degree).
To aid her on her dangerous journey, Alys (coincidentally also the name of Jovovich’s most famous character, Alice from the ‘Resident Evil’ franchise) procures the services of an enigmatic hunter named Boyce (Dave Bautista), who’s been to the Lost Lands and lived to talk about it. Almost as soon as they set out on their quest, however, the city’s fanatical religious leader, Patriarch Johan (Fraser James), incensed by the Queen’s recruitment of a witch, sends his own troops out to stop Alys, led by the sadistically cruel Ash (Arly Jover).
Since this is based on a George R.R. Martin story – one that seems to be a sort of short test run for his later, more massive ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ novels – there are layers of deceit, betrayal, and subterfuge involved, with most of the principal characters plotting against one another. But the characters are so lazily drawn from familiar archetypes, with many of the actors striving to ingest as much of the scenery as possible, that the story becomes needlessly complicated and heavy-handed, trying to give itself a weight it doesn’t have.
And none of this is helped by both the film’s clearly low-budget production values and Anderson’s own handling of both the material and the film’s look. Imagine one long cutscene and that is pretty much what ‘In The Lost Lands’ resembles – except that the 1990s called and wants its cutscene back (avid gamer Anderson has never escaped that milieu as a filmmaker). The CG on constant display – from the monsters to the explosions to the backgrounds — is laughably horrendous, while the film’s muddy gray-and-sepia visual palette would exhaust even Zack Snyder’s weary eyes, as would the now-trite speeded-up slo-mo battle scenes. We get that ‘In The Lost Lands’ is supposed to take place in a dark, almost mythical world, but there’s no attempt here to even anchor that world in the most basic kind of naturalism for audiences to cling to.
The end result is a movie that’s ugly to look at, steeped in visual effects that are glaringly poor, and full of people we don’t care about either killing or undermining each other, with none of it having the gravity or even melodramatic sweep the director clearly thinks he’s giving it.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista on the set of ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
‘In The Lost Lands’ marks Milla Jovovich’s seventh collaboration with her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, following four of the six original ‘Resident Evil’ entries, ‘The Three Musketeers’ (2011), and ‘Monster Hunter’ (2020). We’re not here to judge that decision or her taste, but the truth is that while Jovovich’s action chops are indisputable and she’s even showed flair as an actor in movies ranging from her 1997 breakout, ‘The Fifth Element,’ to 2010’s ‘Stone,’ even she seems bored here. Jovovich delivers most of her lines in a monotone, and the character’s vague motivations and abilities don’t give her much room in which to stretch further than that.
As for Dave Bautista, aside from one or two moments in which his stock in trade – the intimidatingly massive man with the wounded soul inside – gets to shine through, he’s similarly hampered by the thudding script and lack of depth in the material. A twist involving his character seems pretty obvious long before it happens, and even the nature of his ultimate fate is confusing in the film’s near-incoherent closing moments.
The rest of the cast – mostly little-known names plucked from various European countries – are asked to scream, rage, and vamp to make up for the lack of anything else to do.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista in ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
We’re awarding the movie its meager two stars for its actual two stars, Jovovich and Bautista, who both can hold the screen even in some of the direst circumstances. But we can’t give any credit to the director, who wants desperately to stretch his resources and the source material (which is shorter than many of Martin’s later, gargantuan works) but simply doesn’t have the imagination to do it.
In its own way, ‘In The Lost Lands’ is a seamless fit into Anderson’s filmography, which includes such mind-numbing fare as ‘Mortal Kombat‘ (1995), ‘Alien vs. Predator’ (2004), the ludicrous 2014 historical drama ‘Pompeii,’ and of course those ‘Resident Evil’ programmers. Just like many of those, ‘In The Lost Lands’ is derivative of many other, better properties (the more recent ‘Mad Max’ movies and, of course, ‘Game of Thrones’ among them), only done in an even more bargain-basement, knockoff style than before. This one’s a lost cause.
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What is the plot of ‘In the Lost Lands’?
A queen, desperate to find happiness in love, takes a daring step: she sends the powerful and feared witch Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich) to the “Lost Lands” to give her the magical gift of turning into a werewolf. With the mysterious hunter Boyce (Dave Bautista), who supports her in the fight against dark creatures and merciless enemies, Gray Alys roams an eerie and dangerous world. And only she knows that every wish she grants has unimaginable consequences.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Bautista about his work on ‘In the Lost Lands’, exploring the world of George R. R. Martin, the pressure that brings, acting opposite Milla Jovovich, and working on the VFX heavy project.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Bautista, Milla Jovovich, and director Paul W. S. Anderson.
(L to R) Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista in ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what was it like for you to explore the world created by author George R. R. Martin?
Dave Bautista: Well, my first reaction reading the script was, “I love Boyce because he’s kind of that cowboy I’d been searching for.” Even though this wasn’t necessarily a Western, he just felt like he was ripped straight out of a Western. I loved that and I played him like that, and I thought about this film as, “This is my Western.” Initially, that was what drew me to the character. I just thought Boyce was cool, he’s a cool cowboy. Being George R. R. Martin’s first film comes with a lot of pressure that I’m really starting to feel. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but only because I want to live up to his standard, the standard that he set. He’s obviously very successful and I’m a fan. I don’t want to let people down, I don’t want to let him down, and I don’t want to let the fans down because I know they have high expectations. But those high expectations, they come with a price and that price is a lot of pressure.
(L to R) Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich in ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
MF: Just to follow up, did you feel that pressure while making the movie or are you still feeling it now as the film is being released?
DB: I’m starting to feel it now because now it’s starting to become real. Obviously, we did this film a couple of years ago and we’ve been going through the whole process of filming, edits, sales and whatnot. Now, because it’s going to be released very soon, and I’m also starting to get feedback on the film, it’s now real. Also, I really struggle with this and it’s just a personal thing, but I always feel like I become a better actor, a better performer after every project. I’ve done this project, and we did a while ago now, so now when I go back and I look at it, I think, “Oh, I would’ve done this different. I would’ve done that different.” I’m critiquing myself and I’m picking myself apart. That’s just my self-conscious nature, I guess. But again, I don’t want to let any of his fans down. He’s obviously got a massive fan base and I don’t want to let anybody down. So that’s just the pressure that comes with it.
(L to R) Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista in ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
MF: Can you talk about the bond that Boyce and Gray Alys create together on this journey and what was it like for you working opposite Milla Jovovich?
DB: It was awesome. I love Milla and I love her husband, Paul. They just made it so comfortable and just so easy. I had talked with Paul a lot before we did the film, and I knew that I was just going to have the time of my life working with him, but I didn’t really meet Milla until we started filming. If I’m a fan of people that I’m working with, I always try to just get it out of the way, and I hope that they’re receptive. If they’re not, and it makes them uncomfortable, then I must approach things differently. But she was so receptive of it, and she never really treated me like I was just a fanboy. She treated me like I was her peer and her equal and her co-star, so it just felt super comfortable. So, these are the kind of experiences that you pray for as an actor because it’s not always this great, but every day going to work on this film just felt like I was going to play with my friends. It was a very collaborative atmosphere and a lot of freedom. It was just fun.
(L to R) Dave Bautista, director Paul W. S. Anderson, and Milla Jovovich on the set of ‘In the Lost Lands’. Photo: Vertical.
MF: Finally, when you are working on a project like this that is so VFX heavy, is there an adjustment you must make for yourself as an actor?
DB: There have been those experiences, but not so much on this one because even though I couldn’t see the big world that was around me, a lot of the immediate world was there for us, it was on stage. Also, it’s really about relationships, especially with Gray and Boyce. Working with Milla, you just kind of get sucked into those moments. The director worries about that, and he has his vision. He knows what that’s going to be, but as an actor, I just kind of get sucked into what’s there in front of me, what I can work with. I’ve had to adjust, but typically, they were on different projects. The Marvel stuff, there’s a lot of adjusting, a lot of adjusting. Even somewhat with ‘Dune’, there was some adjusting, but this one, not so much. I think what we needed to work with as far as performers are right there in front of us, it was all there for us. It was made very easy. But also, this was a very no-pressure film. I didn’t have that pressure of a big Marvel film or a big ‘Dune’-type film. There wasn’t the same type of pressure. This was very much, I don’t know, it felt like a family project where it was very contained and there were only a few people that I was working with every day and interacting with. So, it just felt very contained, very intimate, and very comfortable.
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What is the plot of ‘In the Lost Lands’?
A queen, desperate to find happiness in love, takes a daring step: she sends the powerful and feared witch Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich) to the “Lost Lands” to give her the magical gift of turning into a werewolf. With the mysterious hunter Boyce (Dave Bautista), who supports her in the fight against dark creatures and merciless enemies, Gray Alys roams an eerie and dangerous world. And only she knows that every wish she grants has unimaginable consequences.
Preview:
