Rumors are circulating that Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju might be joining Henry Cavill in season 2 of Netflix‘s new fantasy juggernaut The Witcher. The Witcher is based on the series of novels by Polish author, Andrzej Sapkowski, and stars Man of Steel‘s Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, the titular “witcher” or monster hunter available for hire. Witchers go through rigorous training throughout childhood that cause them to develop mutations and supernatural abilities, such as heightened reflexes, a keen sense of smell, and a handful of magical spells. Geralt’s travels across the unnamed Continent see him mingle with kings, emperors, sorceresses, and many, many monsters. The series has been made into a very popular series of games, which have been referenced in Netflix’s adaptation.
Little details about season 2 of The Witcher have been released beyond its planned 2021 release date, although rumors and educated guesses have begun to swirl about its cast and content. Norwegian actor Kristofer Hivju, most known for playing beloved character Tormund Giantsbane in HBO‘s smash-hit fantasy series, Game of Thrones, is one such rumored casting that has some real plausibility. Hivju’s other notable credits include 2017’s The Fate of the Furious and 2014’s Force Majeure.
The rumor of Hivju’s involvement in The Witcher season 2 began swirling when director Stephen Surjik – who has been in Scotland scouting locations for the upcoming season – posted a picture on Instagram that included the hashtag “#kristoferhivju” after tagging both Cavill and Anya Chalotra, who plays the sorceress Yennefer. The post has since been deleted, but since then, it was discovered that Hivju has followed three different Witcher accounts and that his agent is connected to The Witcher‘s casting team. Nothing concrete has been established yet, but Redanian Intelligence (via Game Rant), the Witcher fan-site that fueled the Hivju rumor, notes that they were able to predict Emma Appleton’s turn as Renfri in the show’s opening episode on less evidence.
Regarding who Hivju could play in season 2, it has been speculated that the Norwegian could appear as Nivellen, a man cursed to look like a bear that Geralt meets in “A Grain of Truth”, one of the short stories that comprises The Last Wish, the first book in the Witcher Saga. It has been previously reported that “A Grain of Truth” will feature in the show’s second season, continuing the lack of chronological order that season 1 had that eventually led to Netflix releasing a more detailed timeline to guide confused viewers. Hivju fits Nivellen’s physique and would bring more name recognition to a cast of relative unknowns, barring Cavill and Lars Mikkelsen, who plays the villainous wizard Stregobor. Hivju, if he even is cast, would follow Jodhi May (Queen Calanthe in The Witcher, Maggy the Frog in GoT) and Francis Magee (Yurga in The Witcher, Yoren in GoT) in crossing over between the two fantasy shows.
Adding a familiar face such as Hivju, even if it is for one episode, would be an understandable choice to add more appeal to what is already a big hit for Netflix – so much so that the books have seen a boost of sales and no one can get its song out of their head. Many see The Witcher as Netflix’s answer to Game of Thrones, so why not hire talent that has already braved the world of Westeros?
Source: Redanian Intelligence
