With Henry Cavill nabbed principally for Netflix‘s latest stake in The Witcher as Geralt of Rivia, more names have been added to the roster.
The sorceress Yennefer will be played by Anya Chalotra (The ABC Murders, Wanderlust). Actress MyAnna Buring (Ripper Street, Kill List) will leading the magical academy at Aretuza in the role of Tissaia, with Mimi Ndiweni (Black Earth Rising) and Therica Wilson-Read (Profile) as novice sorcerers Fringilla and Sabrina, and Millie Brady (The Last Kingdom, Teen Spirit) as the outcast Princess Renfri.
The pivotal role of Ciri, Princess of Cintra, will be played by Freya Allan (The War of the Worlds, Into The Badlands) while other characters from the court at Cintra include Jodhi May (Game of Thrones, Genius) as Queen Calanthe and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Fortitude) as her husband, the knight Eist, and Adam Levy (Knightfall, Snatch) for the role of the druid Mousesack.
Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.
“Casting The Witcher has been one of the biggest projects of my career, and undoubtedly the most exciting.” says Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s The Defenders, Umbrella Academy) who serves as showrunner and executive poducer. “I can’t wait for these wonderful actors to bring such iconic and loved characters to life on screen, and to share these special stories with viewers all over the world.”
Hailing from Andrzej Sapkowski’s beloved short stories and novels, The Witcher saga first emerged in polish sci-fi periodical, Fantastyka, in 1986, prior to the books taking shape in 1993.
The eight-episode series will be directed by Alik Sakharov (House of Cards, Game of Thrones) — four episodes, including the first episode, and Alex Garcia Lopez (Marvel’s Luke Cage, Utopia) & Charlotte Brändström (Outlander, Counterpart, Disparue) who will direct two episodes each.