The Witcher prequel series casts Jodie Turner-Smith in lead role

January 25th 2021, 10:25am

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Coming off of a critically-acclaimed feature film debut in 2019's Queen & Slim, Jodie Turner-Smith has been set to lead Netflix's six-part, live-action limited series The Witcher: Blood Origin. The series serves as a prequel to The Witcher, the streamer's hit show that stars Henry Cavill.

The Witcher: Blood Origin is set in the elven world some 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher and it will tell the story of the creation of the first prototype Witcher. The series will also detail the events that lead to the pivotal "conjunction of the spheres," when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one. Turner-Smith will play Éile, described as "an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, who has left her clan and position as Queen's guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician." A grand reckoning on the continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption.

The prequel series is the second offshoot from the hit Netflix series. The platform also has an animated spinoff called The Witcher: Nightmare Of The Wolf which focuses on the origin story of Geralt's mentor and fellow Witcher Vesemir. Declan de Barra serves as executive producer and showrunner of The Witcher: Blood Origin while Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, creator of The Witcher, will also executive produce. Andrzej Sapkowski, who is the author of "The Witcher" book series, will serve as a creative consultant on the prequel.

Turner-Smith earned raves for her feature film debut in Queen & Slim opposite Daniel Kaluuya. The actress can be seen next in A24's After Yang opposite Colin Farrell, as well as Amazon's Without Remorse, opposite Michael B. Jordan. Both films are expected to be released this year. Headlining The Witcher prequel series also brings Turner-Smith back to Netflix after starring in the platform's Nightflyers series, based on the novella by George R.R. Martin.

Are YOU excited for The Witcher: Blood Origin?