‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ on Netflix: Everything We Know

In the bottom of your heart you know you want more of The Witcher. Well, Netflix is delivering on this sweet hope in a big way. Not only is the streaming giant moving forward with a Season 2 of the series after giving us both a documentary and docuseries about how Season 1 was made. Netflix has also greenlit two spinoffs for its fantasy horror franchise: The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and The Witcher: Blood Origin.

By far the most exciting of these new releases is Blood Origin. Finally, Netflix and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich are going to tell us the story of the Continent’s very first witcher. Wondering when The Witcher: Blood Origin will premiere and who will be in its cast? We have you covered.

What Is The Witcher: Blood Origin?

Get pumped for a history lesson. The Witcher‘s showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Declan de Barra, known for working on Marvel’s Iron Fist, The Vampire Diaries, and The Witcher, are teaming up to bring us the story of the first witcher.

The Witcher: Blood Origin is set to be a six-episode live-action series. Set 1,200 years before Geralt’s non-official adoption of Ciri, Blood Origin will tell the story of Éile, an elite warrior with “the voice of a goddess.” Éile decides to leave her clan and her position as the Queen’s guardian to follow her heart and become a nomadic musician. But that dream is short-lived. When the world is plagued by a new threatening order that has never happened before, Éile will drop her lute for a sword as she fights for vengeance and redemption. This miniseries will tell the story of how the first prototype witcher came to be and the events that led to the world-changing “conjunction of the spheres”, the explosion that led to the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merging to become one.

There are two fascinating parts to this new series. First, there’s the time period to consider. Blood Origin takes place before something known as the “conjunction of the spheres.” Basically there was a time in the Continent’s history when the worlds of elves, monsters, and men were separated. The conjunction changed all of that, merging these opposing groups together and forcing them to live among each other. Though this “lost time” is mentioned often in The Witcher novels, it’s never been explored. Blood Origin changes all of that while also giving us a look into the little-known world of elves.

Then there’s Éile’s gender to consider. Netflix’s press release for Blood Origin uses female pronouns, indicating that Éile is a woman. But any monster hunting fan knows that witchers can’t be women. Either that means the first witcher at the center of this new series won’t be Éile or that the first witcher was in fact a woman. That detail may have just been forgotten by time. It seems more probable that the first witcher will be a side character of Éile’s story from bard to reluctant warrior. But still, it’s a fun mystery.

How Does The Witcher: Blood Origin Connect to The Witcher?

It’s a prequel series. Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) comes from a long line of trained and transformed monster hunters for hire. This new miniseries will go back in time 1,200 years to tell the story of the very first witcher.

Who Is in The Witcher: Blood Origin Cast?

Jodie Turner-Smith has dropped out of The Witcher: Blood Origin due to a scheduling conflict. But that means Sophia Brown is in. The actor best known for starring in Giri/Haji, The Capture, and Marcella will play Éile. According to Netflix, Éile is “an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, has left her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the Continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption.”

Also joining the cast is the always wonderful Michelle Yeoh. The actor’s casting was announced in July of 2021. The Bond girl and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star is set to play Scían, the very last of her tribe of nomadic sword-wielding elves.

In March of 2021 Netflix announced that Irish actor Laurence O’Fuarain would be entering this new world. O’Fuarain is best known for his work in Vikings and Game of Thrones. The actor is set to play Fjall, a member of a clan of warriors sworn to protect the King. After a loved one gave their life in battle to protect him, Fjall is unable to make peace with the world around him. His quest for redemption will align him with the most unlikely of heroes.

But wait, there’s more. In August of 2021, Netflix announced 10 additional cast members. Mirren Mack (The Nest) will play Merwyn; Lenny Henry (Lord of the Rings Series) will play Balor; Jacob Collins Levy (Young Wallander) will play Eredin; Lizzie Annis will play Zacaré; Huw Novelli (The Capture) will play Callan “Brother Death”; Francesca Mills (Harlots) will play Meldof; Amy Murray will play Fenrik; Nathaniel Curtis (It’s a Sin) will play Brían; Zach Wyatt (Karen Pirie) will play Syndril; and Dylan Moran (Black Books) will play Uthrok One-Nut. Since Blood Origin is a completely different world, we don’t know much about these characters. We’re thrilled to learn more.

Who Creating The Witcher: Blood Origin?

This new series contains some familiar behind-the-scenes faces. Declan de Barra, who is best known for working on Marvel’s Iron Fist, The Witcher, and The Originals, will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Matt O’Toole will serve as executive producers alongside Jason Brown and Sean Daniel from Hivemind as well as Tomek Baginski and Jarek Sawko from Platige Films. Author Andrzej Sapkowski will serve as a creative consultant.

We even know our directors. Sarah O’Gorman, known for Cursed and The Last Kingdom, will direct 101, 104, and 106. Additionally Vicky Jewson, known for Close and Born of War, will direct 102, 103, and 105. You read that right; Blood Origin will be the rare fantasy series solely directed by women.

Is There a Trailer for The Witcher: Blood Origin?

Not yet. The second one becomes available, we’ll let you know.

When Will The Witcher: Blood Origin Premiere?

Sadly, that’s also something we don’t know. But we can always speculate wildly.

Since we haven’t heard a peep about production for Blood Origin, it seems possible that Netflix is waiting to start on the series until after it’s finished The Witcher Season 2. If that’s the case, we’re looking at a ton of obstacles. In November of 2020 Netflix suspended production of The Witcher due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests. Production resumed two weeks later.

Based on this careful but consistent timeline, it seems that The Witcher Season 2 will likely premiere sometime in 2021. That means Blood Origin will likely start production sometime this year, putting it on track for a 2022 release date. Of course, there’s always the possibility of more delays from COVID. Just know that the team behind your favorite bard is trying their best.

Watch The Witcher: Blood Origin on Netflix