The film In the Lost Lands, based on George R. R. Martin's short story, turned out to be more of a loose adaptation than a faithful one. There are indeed many differences from the original, as director Paul W. S. Anderson significantly expanded the story, adding his signature action-blockbuster style.
In the Lost Lands: I made it from what I had
First of all, the short story written by Martin in 1982 was quite brief and didn’t have a complex plot suitable for a full-length film. It only had a basic setup — the witch Gray Alice and the hunter Boyz set out into dangerous lands to search for a werewolf, but their wishes aren’t granted in the way they expected.
The main theme of the story — "beware of what you wish for" — was preserved in the film, but everything else had to be added. Anderson infused the film with action elements, expanded the world, and altered the narrative dynamics.
Secondly, the director filled the film with numerous new scenes that were not in Martin’s story. Train chases, mutant battles, large-scale shootouts — all added for spectacle, turning the story into an action movie with elements of fantasy and post-apocalypse.
It’s clear that the director was inspired by the aesthetics of Mad Max and the story of Roland the Gunslinger from Stephen King's The Dark Tower. This is especially noticeable if you look at Dave Bautista’s costume.
In the Lost Lands: Resident Evil in a fantasy world
Additionally, the film included Milla Jovovich — Anderson's regular star in his action films. Her character participates in fight scenes where she skillfully deals with monsters using sickles — something not found in Martin’s story, but definitely in Resident Evil.
In the Lost Lands: From dark fantasy to a road movie
Thirdly, the visual style of the film is noticeably different from the literary original. While Martin's story is more of a dark fantasy, Anderson's version has elements of noir and western. The post-apocalyptic world in his rendition is not just a backdrop, but a character in itself, filled with details that are worth examining.
Finally, Martin admitted that the story of Gray Alice was intended to be a series of stories, but he only managed to write one, and the second was never completed. Had the author finished the concept, we might have received a full-fledged book that could have been adapted without significant changes.
Since the source material was too short for a film, Anderson had to fill it with his own ideas and deviate from the original work. For which, by the way, the director has already been criticized.
