Netflix mini-series The Witcher: Blood Origin starts production, adds new members to its cast

The Witcher: Blood Origin, the much-awaited prequel to the Netflix series The Witcher has officially begun its production in the UK. And Deadline reports that the series has also roped in new members in the cast that include Lenny Henry, known for Amazon’s Lord of the Rings; Nathaniel Curtis who is noted for It’s a Sin; Mirren Mack who is famed for The Nest and Dylan Moran who is recognised for Black Books.

The plot goes back in time to more than a thousand years, in an ‘elven world’, tracing back the origins and genesis of the first Witcher. The Witcher: Blood Origin is touted to be a thematic and formal prequel that is inspired by Andrzej Sapkowski’s popular books. Sapkowski is a creative consultant for the Netflix original.

It was reported in July last year that the new season will comprise six episodes. While Declan de Barra will be the showrunner, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Matt O'Toole will serve as executive producers with Jason Brown and Sean Daniel from Hivemind, and Tomek Baginski an,d Jarek Sawko from Platige Films.

The series is led by Laurence O’Fuarain, Sophia Brown, and Michelle Yeoh as the central characters. The protagonists are set out on individual quests, each wanting something distinctly different from the other. O’Fuarain essays the role of a warrior who joins hands with allies to act out the vengeance planned in his mind. On the other hand, Eile, also a warrior played by Brown, aspires to be a ‘nomadic musician.’ While Yeoh, who plays an elf Scian, is on the quest for a stolen sacred sword.

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The new additions to the cast include Lizzie Annis, who will play Zacaré, Jacob Collins-Levy as Eredin, Huw Novelli as Callan or ‘Brother Death’, Amy Murray as Fenrik, Francesca Mills as Meldof, and Zach Wyatt as Syndril. Sarah O’Gorman who is known for directing the medieval drama Cursed will direct episodes 101, 104, and 106. Vicky Jewson, best remembered for helming the 2019 action-thriller Close will direct episodes 102, 103, and 105.

The principal photography for The Witcher: Blood Origin has already started this month in the UK. The premiere date of the limited series on Netflix is yet to be announced.