Sophia Brown’s Éile is a force to be reckoned with (Picture: Lilja Jonsdottir/Netflix)
There may still be a while to wait until The Witcher season 3 arrives on Netflix – marking Henry Cavill’s final outing – but the launch of a new prequel series will fill the monster-hunting hole in your hearts.
The new show, The Witcher: Blood Origin, is as gripping as it is thrilling, telling an entirely new tale set in the world of Geralt of Rivia.
The cast is impressive to say the least, with cinema icon Michelle Yeoh leading the way, alongside several exciting actors who are sure to become household names.
So when is the story set, who’s in the cast and when is it being released?
Here’s what you need to know.
Who is in the Witcher: Blood Origin cast?
The Witcher: Blood Origin cast boasts a host of talented actors, from well-known names to up-and-coming stars.
Caption: The Witcher: Blood Origin – Michelle Yeoh Photographer: Photo Credit: Lilja Jonsdottir Provider: Netflix Copyright: 2021 Netflix, Inc. (Picture: Lilja Jonsdottir/Netflix)
Fjall and Éile must find a way to work together (Picture: Lilja Jonsdottir/Netflix)
Hollywood legend (and predicted Oscar contender) Michelle stars as Scian, a fearsome warrior who’s committed to retrieving a special sword that was stolen from her tribe.
Following his recent role in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Sir Lenny Henry continues to dip his toe into fantasy land in this show, playing a powerful character who’s able to tap into magic called Chief Druid Balor.
Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain lead the group as Éile and Fjall respectively, both hailing from different clans who must put their differences aside to work together.
Huw Novelli and Francesca Mills will undoubtedly become fan favourites as Callan ‘Brother Death’ and Meldof respectively, while Zach Wyatt and Lizzie Annis play celestial twins called Syndril and Zacaré.
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Amy Murray stars as Fenrik, a close associate of Balor, while other cast members include Mirren Mack as Merwyn, Nathaniel Curtis as Brían, Dylan Moran as Uthrok One-Nut and Jacob Collins-Levy as Eredin.
Minnie Driver appears as Seanchai, the narrator of the story, while The Witcher star Joey Batey makes a cameo, reprising his role in the original show as Jaskier the fun-loving bard.
Where does the Witcher: Blood Origin fit in the timeline?
The Witcher: Blood Origin is set more than 1,000 years before the events of The Witcher – 1,200 years to be exact.
Brother Death and Meldof make for an entertaining duo (Picture: Netflix/Susie Allnutt)
Therefore, viewers shouldn’t expect to see any characters from the original series show up, including Henry’s Geralt of Rivia (with the exception of Jaskier, whose appearance will be explained when they watch the show).
At the point of time in which the prequel spin-off is set, Elven society is in its prime, rather than humans holding the majority of the power.
By the time of The Witcher, monsters are rife across the land, but Blood Origin will depict the first time the monstrous creatures infiltrated the world due to a momentous event called the Conjunction of Spheres.
The tale will also reveal the creation of the very first Witcher, before Witchers became more commonplace, with young boys trained to become monster hunters.
When is The Witcher: Blood Origin out and how to watch?
The Witcher: Blood Origin is coming out on Christmas Day, so if you want a gripping fantasy series to watch in between family meals, then look no further!
It’s a limited series with only four episodes, so you’ll be able to speed through it with ease – however, you may want to pace yourself, otherwise you’ll be left feeling disappointed that you rushed through it too quickly.
Netflix subscribers will be able to watch it on the platform, where the first two seasons of The Witcher as well as the animated film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf can also be found.
The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres on Christmas Day on Netflix.
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