Netflix’s The Witcher is conjuring a live-action manifestation of the popular fantasy novel series of Andrzej Sapkowski, which, of course, spawned the popular video game series. Notably, it also marks a monumental turn for its star, Henry Cavill, who has permanently put away his Superman suit, and shaved that pesky Mission: Impossible – Fallout mustache, for a television series that matches if not exceeds the grandiosity of his big screen run as the Blue Bomber.
While The Witcher games has taken some liberties with the novel source material, this television series will feature quite a few familiar faces and storylines. As Sapkowski expressed in a statement:
“I’m thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories. Staying true to the source material and themes that I have spent over 30 years writing. I’m excited about our efforts together as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life.”
Auspiciously, the series already nabbed a second season order by Netflix back in November, well before its December premiere.
The Witcher Trailer
Netflix has released a featurette for The Witcher in which star Henry Cavil explains the motivations of his character, Geralt of Rivia, and clarifies for the uninitiated just what it means to be a Witcher.
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Here’s one in which Anya Chalotra explains her role as Yennefer of Vengerberg.
Rounding out the main cast trio is another featurette, this time focused on Freya Allan’s Princess Cirilla.
Immediately below is the full trailer for The Witcher, which looks spectacular.
You can also check out the first teaser, dropped back at SDCC 2019, just below.
The Witcher Release Date
The first season of Netflix’s The Witcher will officially debut in full on Friday, December 20.
Further Reading: 25 Underrated Video Game Soundtracks
The Witcher Episodes
Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich first confirmed that The Witcher will have an eight-episode first season on Twitter while addressing concerns that eight episodes aren’t enough. Hissrich stated that the smaller season allowed the team to produce “tight, action-packed” episodes that were free of lagging story moments. She also explained that the decision was not representative of any lack of faith in the series or any other financial concerns.
The episodes will each be about an hour-long – though Hissrich claims there might be a little variation in each episode’s runtime.
Further Reading: 20 Best Dystopian Games
The Witcher Cast
Henry Cavill - Geralt of Rivia
Freya Allan - Ciri
Anya Chalotra - Yennefer
Jodhi May - Calanthe
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson - Eist
Adam Levy - Mousesack
MyAnna Buring - Tissaia
Mimi Ndiweni - Fringilla
Therica Wilson-Read - Sabrina
Millie Brady - Renfri
Eamon Farren - Cahir
Joey Batey - Jaskier
Lars Mikkelsen - Stregobor
Royce Pierreson - Istredd
Maciej Musia - Sir Lazlo
Wilson Radjou-Pujalte - Dara
Anna Shaffer - Triss
Rebecca Benson – Marilka
Shane Attwooll – Nohorn
Luke Neal – Vyr
Matthew Neal – Nimir
Tobi Bamtefa – Danek
Sonny Serkis – Martin
Roderick Hill – Fletcher
Inge Beckmann – Aridea
Charlotte O’Leary – Tiffania
Natasha Culzac – Toruviel
Amit Shah – Torque
Tom Canton – Filavandrel
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Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.
Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.