While we may be waiting around longer than we thought for more Witcher, Netflix is getting the ball rolling on the limited-series prequel The Witcher: Blood Origin, casting the show’s first lead. Jodie Turner-Smith, best known for her role in Queen & Slim, will play Éile, a powerful warrior who leaves her clan and her job as a guardian of the Queen to become a traveling musician, no doubt to the disappointment of her parents who always wanted her to become a magical doctor or lawyer.
The Witcher: Blood Origin takes place 1,200 years before the main series, telling the tale of the mysterious “conjunction of the spheres,” the moment when the worlds of the elves, monsters, and men merged into one and established the universe that The Witcher takes place in. Éile, thanks to the world-changing events going on, must return to her clan and once again pick up the blade in order to fulfill a quest of vengeance and redemption. More casting should come soon as Netflix gets moving on the production of the six-episode series and kicks off its building of an extended Witcher universe that will also include a new animated series.
The Witcher, which stars Henry Cavill, was a big hit for Netflix, and the streamer sees it as its Game of Thrones, though if it will ever gain that massive size of cultural impact is unclear. Unlike HBO, however, it’s diving all in with the universe before the original show is over, creating spin-offs like The Witcher: Blood Origin after only one season. Despite a first look back in October, Netflix hasn’t released any other information about when the show might land, especially since Henry Cavill injured himself during production.
