Netflix is celebrating Halloween with the release of their full trailer for THE WITCHER, an 8-episode series starring Henry Cavill that promises to host plenty of beasts, bewitchment, and blood-thirsty creatures that go bump in the night. In addition to the intense, new trailer, Netflix also revealed that THE WITCHER will arrive exclusively on the streaming platform on December 20th, just in time for Christmas!
Based on the best-selling fantasy series of books, THE WITCHER is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.
Fans of swords and sorcery epics are likely to go wild for this trailer, as it features Geralt wielding an array of his extra-normal abilities while also placing an emphasis on the elaborate nature of the plot. Throughout the season, viewers will be introduced to conniving characters, nightmarish nasties, and wickedly woven tapestries of fantasy-driven intrigue.
Alongside today's trailer and relese date reveal, Variety published an exclusive article with Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, the show’s executive producer and showrunner. During their talks, Hissrich gave a brief overview of the first season.
For me the overall theme of the books, as I read them, was really about this broken family at the center of it, which is Geralt of Rivia, Ciri and Yennefer. They are tied together by destiny; they are all orphans in the world, kind of loners. None of them feel they quite belong. Certainly none of them feel they need anyone else to survive. Because I wanted their family unit to be at the center of this, one of the big shifts that I had to make in the narrative of the books is I had to introduce Ciri and Yennefer a little bit earlier…and make them feel like fully formed characters of their own….That’s one of the big shifts I’ve made.
Furthermore, for fans who're hoping for some steamy scenes involving sultry sexcraft, have no fear, because Hissrich says that THE WITCHER has got you covered.
Absolutely. “The Witcher” is a show for adults….With television pushing more into premium cable and now into streaming, you can say almost anything, you can see almost anything, you can do almost anything. The interesting [thing] to me is not relying on that as a crutch. Audiences are really savvy. They don’t need to be shocked. They are looking to enjoy a good story. So whenever I approach sexuality, intimacy between characters, or nudity, to me it’s about: Does this do anything for our story? And does this do anything for our character? Are we looking to have a character be more vulnerable in this moment? Are we looking to bring two characters together to have sex because they love each other and are about to change the direction of each other’s lives? I always go back to story and character, and if it doesn’t have anything to do with those we don’t need it.
The real question, though? Will there be any displays of passion while atop a unicorn? Inquiring minds want to know.
Filling out the remainder of the cast for Netflix's THE WITCHER are Jodhi May (GAME OF THRONES) as Calanthe, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (FORTITUDE) as Eist, Adam Levy (SNATCH, KNIGHTFALL) as Mousesack, MyAnna Buring (RIPPER STREET) as Tissaia, Mimi Ndiweni (BLACK EARTH RISING) as Fringilla, Therica Wilson-Read (PROFILE) as Sabrina, and Emma Appleton (THE END OF THE F**KING WORLD) as Renfri, Eamon Farren (TWIN PEAKS) as Cahir, Joey Batey (KNIGHTFALL) as Jaskier, Lars Mikkelsen (SHERLOCK, HOUSE OF CARDS) as Stregobor, Royce Pierreson (WANDERLUST) as Istredd, Maciej Musia? (1983) as Sir Lazlo, Wilson Radjou-Pujalte (DICKESIAN) as Dara, and Anna Shaffer (HARRY POTTER) as Triss.
As one of Netflix's most-anticipated shows of the year, one can only hope that THE WITCHER casts a powerful spell when it lands on December 20th.