Production on The Witcher season 2 is already underway, and there are some new faces coming with it. Set for a 2021 premiere, seven new actors have been cast to play a part in the next season of Netflix’s adaptation: Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones) will play Nivellen, Paul Bullion (Peaky Blinders) is Lambert, Thue Ersted Rasmussen (F9) is Eskel, Yasen Atour (Young Wallander) is Coen, Aisha Fabienne Ross (The Danish Girl) is Lydia, Mecia Simson is Francesca, and Agnes Bjorn is Vereena.
Hivju is potentially the most notable (and most fitting) addition to the cast considering his role as the towering Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones. In The Witcher books, however, Nivellen is known as a cursed man that has the appearance of a monster, though it is unclear if the show will follow the exact path laid out by the books in season 2.
The Witcher showrunner and executive producer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich spoke about the newly added characters: “The reaction to season one of The Witcher set a high bar for adding new talent for the second season. Sophie Holland and her casting team have once again found the very best people to embody these characters, and in the hands of (our) accomplished directors, we’re excited to see these new stories come to life.”
In addition to the show starting production in the UK, we know that Stephen Surjik (The Umbrella Academy), Sarah O’Gorman (Cursed), Ed Bazalgette (Doctor Who), and Geeta Patel (Superstore) are set to direct two episodes in season 2 each.
The show was renewed for season 2 before it even debuted, though it subsequently set itself apart as the world’s most in-demand show. On top of that, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt saw a drastic increase in player numbers after the show premiered. The show’s success has even compelled Netflix to create a yet-to-be-detailed anime film called The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.
