Netflix’s fantasy prequel The Witcher: Blood Origin may have suffered a setback when Jodie Turner-Smith dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts just a few weeks after being cast as the female lead, but production is still expected to be in full swing by the time we hit summer.
The actress was set to play Éile, a warrior with the voice of a goddess that left her tribe to become a nomadic musician, who ultimately gets drawn into a quest for vengeance and redemption, but there’s been no word on who’s replacing her as of yet. We do know that former Game of Thrones and Vikings star Laurence O’Fuarain is on board as Fjall, though, another warrior haunted by the death of a loved one.
The streaming service is clearly keen to continue building out the world based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s source novels, with season 2 of Henry Cavill’s adventures as Geralt of Rivia premiering before the end of this year along with animated companion piece Nightmare of the Wolf. Blood Origin, meanwhile, isn’t expected until mid-2022 at the earliest, but a new rumor claims to have offered up the villain.
As per the report, Eredin Bréacc Glas will be the big bad of the six-episode miniseries, although the character will be better known to fans as the King of the Wild Hunt, with actor Jacob Collins-Levy said to have been cast in the role. The Witcher mythology sees Eredin named as leader of the Red Riders by King Auberon Muircetach, who used the Gate of the Worlds to travel to and raid a number of worlds and capture slaves.
The Witcher: Blood Origin is set 1200 years before the main series, so there aren’t likely to be a lot of crossovers, but a deeper dive into the lore will be more than welcomed by the fanbase.