The Witcher fans waited long enough for season 2, but while we wait a bit more for season 3 there’s something else to look forward to. The Witcher: Blood Origin is a brand new live-action prequel from the minds behind Netflix’s The Witcher and it will be on our screens very soon.
Here’s what you need to know about The Witcher: Blood Origin.
How does Blood Origin fit into The Witcher universe?
If you’ve noticed the words ‘Conjunction of the Spheres’ or characters referring to a ‘sphere’, that’s because this was a very important event in the history of the Continent. It was the event that brought the monsters and magic into the world of men and it’s this event that Blood Origin will be exploring.
The series also promises to depict “the creation of the first Witcher”. This is something we still don’t know much about, but you can kind of get an idea of the process in The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.
In terms of how The Witcher: Blood Origin ties into The Witcher main show, there’s a bit of a timeline gap. The Witcher: Blood Origin is set 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher.
When we spoke to The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich last year (who is also a producer on Blood Origin) she explained that not everyone needs to have seen all The Witcher content on Netflix, but it will be extra rewarding for those who have.
“What we really have tried to do is reward viewers who watch all of them. There are things that we see that may not mean so much when you see them this season, but when you watch Blood Origin, when it comes out, you’ll start to understand a little bit more,” Hissrich said.
Who is in the cast?
Given The Witcher: Blood Origin is set over a thousand years before the main show that makes it pretty unlikely that you’ll see Geralt, Yennefer or any of your other favourite characters – unless they introduce time travel (hey, anything is possible!).
This means The Witcher: Blood Origin has an entirely new cast playing a new set of characters.
Sophia Brown is playing Eile, a warrior of the Queen’s guard, Michelle Yeoh is Scian, the last of a tribe of sword-elves and Laurence O’Fuarain is Fjall, a man born into a clan of warriors sworn to protect the King.
Joining them is Lenny Henry as Chief Druid Balor, Mirren Mack as Merwyn, Nathaniel Curtis as Brian, Dylan Moran as Uthrok One-Nut, Jacob Collins-Levy as Eredin, Lizzie Annis as Zacare, Huw Novelli as Callan “Brother Death, Francesca Mills as Meldof, Amy Murray as Fenrik and Zach Wyatt as Syndril.
The series is directed by Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson and the showrunner is Declan de Barra.
One actor from The Witcher who may appear in the prequel is Joey Batey, aka the bard Jaskier, who is rumoured to have some kind of narrator role.
Here’s the trailer
A trailer for The Witcher: Blood Origin was released alongside the second season debut of The Witcher on Netflix.
Just like its predecessor, The Witcher: Blood Origin has plenty of sword fighting, stunning sets and action.
For a better look at said sets, Netflix released a behind the scenes video featuring showrunner Declan de Barra taking viewers on a tour. Check it out below.
When and where can you watch The Witcher: Blood Origin in Australia?
Like The Witcher and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf before it, The Witcher: Blood Origin will release all six of its episodes on Netflix in Australia.
As for the release date, the specific timing hasn’t been announced but Netflix has confirmed the series will release in 2022.
We’ll keep you posted on any more news about The Witcher: Blood Origin as it becomes available.
In the meantime, you can rewatch The Witcher’s first two seasons on Netflix now or check out these similar TV shows while you wait.