For 2 years straight, fans of the fantasy genre were spending December not only celebrating Christmas but also enjoying the new seasons of the amazing TV series "The Witcher", adapted from the book series of the same name written by Andrzej Sapkowski. Imagine the disappointment of millions of fans when they found out that the third season is coming out not at the end of this year but in Summer 2023! There is, however, some good news -- you are going to get to go back to the Continent again with a new prequel of the show coming out on December 25!
"The Witcher: Blood Origin" was announced in July 2020, and now we have the trailer to finally get a glimpse of what’s going to happen in the new series!
Let's break down what we know so far!
1. When Does The Story Take Place?
If you’re excited about seeing Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri and other great characters (or at least their younger versions) back again, we have some disappointing news: the prequel takes place 1,200 years before the events of "The Witcher". We’re going to see the Elven Golden Era, before the arrival of monsters and humans to the Continent, and maybe even witness these 3 worlds turn into one.
2. What Is It Going To Be About?
In the prequel, we’re going to explore the ancient civilization of the Elves right before its fall. The Continent has its own rules, regime, and order, which may seem cruel, but at least everything is always under control. But, as they say, nothing lasts forever. 7 outcast elves -- led by Eile, an awesome warrior of the Queen’s guard -- are bound together to fight for their land and try to defeat a terrifying beast, which seems to appear out of nowhere. They are destined to save the Continent as the monoliths are causing tears between the worlds and the magical land is in great danger. The storyline leads to the "Conjunction of the Spheres", a cataclysmic multiversal event which caused every world to collide and merge into one reality. The Conjunction is perhaps the most crucial event of this universe, as it affects the world for hundreds of years, and we would probably have no Witcher if it wasn’t for this catastrophe. Another very important thing about the new series is the creation of the first ever prototype of the Witcher -- a beast hunter, who also has supernatural abilities to fight the monsters. Who is going to be the first Witcher? We’ll find out very soon!
3. Who’s Going To Be In The Prequel?
As we mentioned, the original cast won’t appear in "Blood Origin". There is, however, one character surprising us with his appearance: Joey Batey is going to reprise his role as bard Jaskier, who doesn’t seem to have changed throughout the centuries. Is the talented bard immortal? Batey explained that Jaskier’s merely a vessel through which the story of "Blood Origin" is told. So, at least there’s one familiar face! Another is Scian -- the last member of a nomadic tribe of sword-elves -- who is portrayed by the iconic Michelle Yeoh,There are many new amazing actors in this fantasy project too. Sophia Brown is going to play Eile, who wants to leave the Queen’s guard to become a traveling musician, while Laurence O’Fuarain plays a character named Fjall, born in a clan of warriors who swore to protect a king but instead decides to take vengeance. Among the rest of the cast, we have Lenny Henry, Mirren Mack, Jacob Collins-Levy, Dylan Moran, and many more.
"Blood Origins" consists of 4 episodes and will come out on December 25. Now you know how you’re going to spend your Christmas holidays, don’t you?