Ahead of its global release on December 25th, Netflix has launched the trailer and key art for The Witcher: Blood Origin at CCXP in Brazil, where it was revealed fan favourite Joey Batey will star as Jaskier in the four-part series.
The series is overseen by Irish showrunner and writer Declan de Barra, who previously wrote two episodes of Netflix’s original hit series, The Witcher.
Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson will direct the series, which is executive produced by Lauren Hissrich, Matt O’Toole, Platige Films’ Tomek Baginski & Jarek Sawko, and Hivemind’s Jason Brown & Sean Daniel.
Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time - the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal conjunction of the spheres, when the world of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.
Adding a string of new faces to the Witcher Universe, Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain play Éile and Fjall, two warriors estranged from their opposing clans, Michelle Yeoh takes the role of Scían, a sword master, the last of her tribe. Mirren Mack is Princess Merwyn, Lenny Henry plays Chief Sage Balor, Joey Batey plays Jaskier, and Minnie Driver stars as a Seanchaí. Francesca Mills is Meldof, Zach Wyatt, and Lizzie Annis are celestial twin sages Syndril and Zacaré, and Huw Novelli is Brother Death.
Other supporting cast members include Irish actor-comedian Dylan Moran who features as Uthrok One-Nut, while Amy Murray sters as chief sage Balor’s apprentice Fenrik, Aidan O'Callaghan as Kareg, Mark Rowley as King Alvitir, Daniel Fathers and Faoileann Cunningham as clan chieftain Osfar and his daughter Ryl. Kim Adis is Merwyn’s handmaid Ket, Nathaniel Curtis portrays Brían, Ella Schrey-Yeats will play the young prophet Ithlinne, and her mother Aevenien is played by Claire Cooper.
The four-part mini-series, which filmed at Arborfield Studios in England and on location in Icreland, will release globally on Netflix this Christmas Day, December 25th.