When Netflix announced back in late 2018 that they were putting together a live-action series of The Witcher,& fans were a bit skeptical and excited. When the first season made its debut in 2019, Netflix knew what they had in front of them, and were already planning for Season 2, along with an animated, and even more. Some fans were worried that Netflix would end the show early, like they have done with others in the past, however that is clearly not the plan.
If you have not watched The Witcher yet, I am going to need you to put a pin in this article and come back to it. Although I am trying to be spoiler free, you are going to be lost in the process. So read on if you must.
Let’s take a look back at the first season real quick. The Witcher follows the story of Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than monsters and beasts. … Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, a mutant with special powers who kills monsters for money. Sounds pretty simple or so. But as you know, their is always more to the story, and this story is deep and rich with history. A history we don’t know much about or have only scratched the surface of. Besides the books, the franchise also brings several games into the fold with its own stories and history. And let’s not forget The Witcher comics and graphic novels that tell other stories of this time.
Just a few days ago, the The Witcher season 2 trailer arrived ahead of the show’s release date on December 17th 2021. Fans ( like myself ) are ready for more of Geralt and the long journey they have as they head to Witcher’s Keep, but what about before this moment? Before Season 1 and before Geralt was introduced to us? What happened in this far away land? Why is he here? What is his real purpose amongst mortal men?
Now we know the show is based off a series of six fantasy novels and 15 short stories written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series revolves around the eponymous “witcher,” Geralt of Rivia. In Sapkowski’s stories, “witchers” are beast hunters who develop supernatural abilities at a young age to battle wild creatures and monsters. The Witcher began with a 1986 short story that Sapkowski entered into a competition held by Fantastyka magazine, marking his debut as an author. Because of the high reader demand, Sapkowski wrote 14 more stories before starting a series of novels in 1994. Known as The Witcher Saga, he wrote one book a year until the fifth and final installment in 1999. A standalone prequel novel, Season of Storms, was also published in 2013.
In the books we find out a lot more detail about our main character and his race of people as well as others. Something that books typically do better than a movie or television show. However Netflix know he also announced a spin off series titled The Witcher: Blood Origin which should fill us in on the rich history of the world in which Geralt comes from and lives in.
&Of course the details of the project are few and far and in between for now, we have some ideas as well as a few things we can expect from&this show. So let’s dive right in.
When does it take place?
&The new series will take place over a millennium before the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, the prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin is set to take us back to a time in the history of the Continent. This series will explore the origins of Witchers and the ancient Elven civilisation before it fell.
Netflix wasted no time making the announcement of this brand new series so shortly after Season1 aired, that it clearly shows how much they not only believe in this series and franchise but how much committed they are.
What does the cast look like?
&Although it’s early and the full cast hasn’t been confirmed or released yet, we do know several cast members that have signed on. Michelle Yeoh is signed on to play the role of Sc&ían as well as Sophia Brown as &Éile. Plus we have Laurence O’Fuarain as Fjall. When the rumors first started about casting, Aquaman star Jason Momoa’s name was swirling around, but now that the series is shaping up, that rumor he been out to rest and buried in the depths of the ocean.
By far the biggest name currently attached to The Witcher: Blood Origin is Star Trek: Discovery and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Michelle Yeoh. Her involvement in the show was announced in early July 2021, and she’ll be playing Sc&ían, the last of a tribe of Elven nomads.
The character description reveals that she is, “the very last of her nomadic tribe of sword-elves. No one can come close to her artistry with the blade, and no one carries as much loss within their heart. When a chance presents itself to go after a stolen sacred sword, which was taken from her fallen tribe, she launches herself into a deadly quest that will change the outcome of the Continent.”
Yeoh will be joined by Giri/Haji and Marcella star Sophia Brown as &Éile. Brown replaces Queen & Slim star Jodie Turner-Smith, who had to leave The Witcher: Blood Origin due to a scheduling conflict. &Éile is described as “an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, who leaves her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the Continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption.”
The third confirmed member of The Witcher: Blood Origin cast is,Laurence O’Fuarain. He is not a stranger to the fantasy world and is somewhat of a veteran. He appeared in episodes of both Vikings and Game of Thrones. He’ll play a character named Fjall.
According to the character synopsis, he’s “born into a clan of warriors sworn to protect a King, Fjall carries a deep scar within, the death of a loved one who fell in battle trying to save him. A scar that won’t let him settle, or make peace with himself or the world around him. In his quest for redemption, Fjall will find himself fighting beside the most unlikely of allies as he carves a path of vengeance across a continent in turmoil.”
Based on the timeline of the show, we can most likely see a long list of unknown characters that will no doubt pave the way for the current series.
We do have another character that will make their on screen debut in this series. The prequel series will feature a character named Captain Eredin, better known as the King of the Wild Hunt. It’s likely that the show will explore Eredin’s origins (meaning, before the Wild Hunt) to set up his appearance in the main show, as he’s already been cast in The Witcher‘s second season. As far as who he is or what he does, that is all a mystery for now.
When will it be released?
Right now we don’t have an official date for the shows release. And frankly I wouldn’t expect one anytime real soon. The Witcher season 2 wrapped shooting in April 2021, ahead of its December 2021 debut, and the production process on the prequel series is likely to be just as long if not longer.
We do know that, as of October 31st 2020, the writing process was well underway, with showrunner Declan de Barra saying that “all the writers are off to outline or script”. What we do know is that recently Netflix dropped a little behind the scenes video that showed of some of sets and a little more. So clearly the show is in full swing. You can watch that below by clicking the link.
We also know that currently it’s only schedule for six parts. Which doesn’t seem like a lot considering they have so much to tell and so much of the world to show us. Now that could change or the show could be longer than normal.
We do know that one of the biggest events that will be explored is The Conjunction of the Spheres. What is that you ask? This is when the world merged. The worlds of monsters, elves and humans became one, and of course the creation of the first witcher. The question is how did they merge? Why did they merge? Did someone cause this? Was it an accident or was there a more sinister reason behind this catastrophic event?
With little known about this timeline or the history of these worlds, the writers have a lot of freedom to tell the story and forge the tales and adventures. I imagine we could see some time jumps ( similar to season one ) in the spin off unless they plan on doing a second season or more to lead up to the current story. Of course that all depends on the reception and the writing.
With the second season coming out next month, now would be a great time to catch up and refresh your memory by watching season one of The Witcher. You can also watch the animated film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.&
&This animated film serves as an origin story as well as a prequel of sorts. It revolves around Vesemir, a cocky young witcher, who delights in slaying monsters for coin. When a dangerous new power rises on the Continent, Vesemir learns fast that some witchering jobs are about more than just money. Recently it was also announced that a new animated film will follow Nightmare of the Wolf&and come out before season three arrives on the streaming service. More Witcher the better it sounds like.
It gives us another look at the world of The Witcher and some insight to the myths and legends that follow. You can also watch on Netflix, Inside The Episodes and The Making Of The Witcher& to at least feed your needs until the new season rolls around.
So as we wait for The Witcher: Blood Origins to either release a teaser or more behind the scenes footage, here is something else for you to chew on. The producer’s are already at work on season three! Recently The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich shared at the Lucca Comics & Games 2021 festival in Italy, that it’s happening and it’s going to be big.
“What I will say about the third season, the writers are back in Los Angeles diligently working while I am here getting to do this, so I’m grateful for them,” she said. “It’s a really fun season, and it follows a particular book very closely, has a lot of action, some death… some death.”
Pretty amazing that season two hasn’t even dropped yet and the writers are working hard on season three. We know the show has a lot of death already but could something in season two lead to even more death? Or maybe something in Blood Origins will be foretold and season three will be when it takes place?
She did mention that it will follow one of the books closely so that could be a huge clue, if we only knew which one she was referencing. Many fans have begun to theorize and some point to the book ” Blood of Elves.” Which would make sense to a degree but anything can happen and as we know the series does take its own path at times.
Regardless if the wait and teasers we are given either in interviews or behind the scenes footage. The Witcher: Blood Origins is going to a huge addition to the franchise and has a lot at stake. Not to mention the fact that season 3 is being worked on as we speak, shows that we will have a lot to look forward to once it all comes together.
Of course we also have The Witcher& video games to fall&back on during the waiting process. And although it has not been confirmed just yet, The Witcher 4& is pretty much inevitable as the game makers have all but announced it. Of course a lot of the production on games were delayed last year, recently they have hinted the idea of this game online. Could we see a Blood Origins game also? &Anything is possible and frankly and this point I wouldn’t doubt it.
We are hoping to have some more news in regards to this huge epic spin off series as the weeks and months lead up to final production. Hopefully once some footage arrives we will also be able to see a teaser trailer from Netflix and be able to post it. Most likely some more behind the scenes footage will make its way online and around the web before that happens. As always we will be on top of this and everything related to this huge franchise.
What do you think of all this news in regard to The Witcher: Blood Origins? What are you looking forward to the most in this show? For me it has to be the merging of all the worlds. Without that we have no story or The Witcher.&And if I can guess at all as to why it happened, I feel like I want to blame the world of man, the humans. I feel like it’s always our fault in these cases. I mean just look at The Lord of the Rings.&We always mess with things we shouldn’t mess with and then next thing you know, a giant world filled with evil creatures, witches, demons and more. So yeah, probably our fault.
Now that we have some idea of what to expect with this spin off ( sort of ) we can start to look at the details in season 1 and the upcoming season 2. Within those season are not only clues as to the history of this world, but secrets that could lead to the future for our hero and new characters.
Let’s take a look at the trailer for season 2 one more time and see exactly what we have coming when it streams December 17th 2021 only on Netflix.
&I wish I had more to give you but rest assured we are ready to report the latest breaking news on this spin off and the franchise just as soon as we get it. Don’t forget to follow and leave us your comments about the spin off and remember to catch the new season of The Witcher& only on Netflix December 17th 2021.
Source: movieweb.com