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Netflix tosses a coin to live-action, limited Witcher prequel TV series 'Blood Origin'
Netflix is once again doubling down on its Witcher adaptations with a limited prequel series entitled Blood Origin, the streaming giant announced this morning. Consisting of six parts, the live-action project is said to take place "in an elven world" 1,200 years before the events of the main series, which stars Henry Cavill as famed monster hunter Geralt of Rivia.
In terms of plot, the spinoff will chronicle the origins of the very first Witcher as well as "the events that lead to the pivotal 'conjunction of the spheres' when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one," reads the synopsis provided by Netglix. Declan de Barra (writer of the Season 1 episode "Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials") is attached as executive producer and showrunner for Blood Origin, which plans to shoot in the United Kingdom. Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is also executive producing alongside Witcher novelist/creative consultant Andrzej Sapkowski. No cast has been confirmed yet.
"As a lifelong fan of fantasy, I am beyond excited to tell the story The Witcher: Blood Origin," de Barra said in a statement. "A question has been burning in my mind ever since I first read The Witcher books – What was the Elven world really like before the cataclysmic arrival of the humans? I’ve always been fascinated by the rise and fall of civilizations, how science, discovery, and culture flourish right before that fall. How vast swathes of knowledge are lost forever in such a short time, often compounded by colonization and a rewriting of history. Leaving only fragments of a civilization’s true story behind. The Witcher: Blood Origin will tell the tale of the Elven civilization before its fall, and most importantly reveal the forgotten history of the very first Witcher.”
"I am so thrilled to collaborate with Declan and the Netflix team on The Witcher: Blood Origin," added Hissrich. "It’s an exciting challenge to explore and expand The Witcher universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, and we can’t wait to introduce fans to new characters and an original story that will enrich our magical, mythical world even more."
“It is exciting that the world of Witcher — as planned in the very beginning — is expanding. I hope it will bring more fans to the world of my books," finished Sapkowski.
Jason Brown and Sean Daniel of Hivemind and Tomek Baginski and Jarek Sawko of Platige Films round out the rest of the executive producer team.
Elsewhere, Netflix is working on Nightmare of the Wolf, an anime-inspired feature based on the franchise. Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender) has been tapped to handle the animation. Season 2 of the main show plans to resume production in the U.K. August 17.
