Of all the fantasy and sci-fi shows currently angling to fill the giant empty space in the hearts of bereft Game of Thrones fans, Netflix’s The Witcher looks like one of the most promising. Even if you’ve never read the books by Andrzej Sapkowski or played the games from CD Projekt Red, the trailer by itself is good enough to get people interested:
And if you have read the books or played the games (or maybe seen the pretty bad Polish-language adaptation The Hexer), you know that the story revolves around Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter who stalks the Continent looking for jobs and trying (and often failing) not to get caught up in the infighting and politicking among the various powers in the land. Playing Geralt in the Netflix show is none other than Henry “I used to play Superman” Cavill, a fan of the series from way back who actually lobbied for the role. Let’s hope his passion shows onscreen.
According to showrunner Lauren Hissrich, Cavill brings a taciturn quality that sounds like it’ll be a good fit for a grim guy like Geralt. “One of the things that probably shifted the most once we cast Henry is Geralt speaks a lot less than I initially intended,” she told Digital Spy.
In the books, Geralt’s actually quite chatty, he talks a lot. What I found though is on screen, especially with Henry portraying him, a lot can be done just in looks and grunts. Henry’s a big grunter, I mean that in the best way possible. It’s kind of amazing what’s accomplished in silence and that makes him that much more powerful of a character.
And there you have it: get ready for Henry Cavill’s grunts. Well be looking out for a soundboard.
And if that isn’t enough to sell you on The Witcher, Hissrich is here to make you a believer. “It has a little bit of everything,” she said. “It has magic, it has monsters, it has a ton of violence and sex and love, and all of the things that we expect from fantasy.”
But what I would say is that it has at its core, family and trying to live in the world when you’re an outsider and these are things that I think any viewer can relate to. I don’t know jack shit about being a sorceress and I’ve never killed a monster, but I know about being a human and walking through the world or not fitting in.
In addition to Geralt, main characters include Yennefer, his sorceress love interest, and Ciri, his protégé in the ways of witching. Will you be following their little found family when The Witcher drops on Netflix this fall?
To learn more about The Witcher before the big day, check out our handy-dandy beginner’s guide. We also read the first book in The Witcher saga, Blood of Elves, chapter by chapter. Come read along!
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