Why is Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia so grumpy? That’s one of many answers that one might expect from The Witcher: Blood Origin show as book series author Andrzej Sapkowski’s world transforms into a full-fledged Netflix fantasy franchise. Actually, I’m being slightly obnoxious at the moment. Viewers already realize that not only must Geralt co-exist with the loathsome-yet-catchy “Toss A Coin” song, but he must also deal with a society that treats him with contempt, despite his invaluable monster-hunting services to the continent. That’s where the origin story of the first Witcher comes in, to show us exactly what the profession has internalized throughout potion-laden travels.
As an upcoming six-part limited series, Blood Origin, aims to bring that legacy to life in a universe that not only includes video games but will also soon include an animated, feature length movie called Nightmare of the Wolf. However, Blood Origin will be a live-action affair that arrives with this logline:
Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the origin of the very first Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.
More elves? One can’t beat that, along with the promise to present human arrival as “cataclysmic,” according to showrunner Declan de Barra, who will executive produce alongside The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. Sapkowski will do the creative consulting thing, and this sounds like a take on how history can be rewritten and, later, resurfaced with a “forgotten” label. We can also expect a lesson on the unending fallout that results from colonization, wrapped up in an aesthetically pleasing bow. Perhaps a few bathtubs as well? One never knows.
The Witcher: Blood Origin will shoot in the United Kingdom with release details to come.
