The Witcher Has Cast The Female Lead For Its Spinoff
The Witcher spinoff, The Witcher: Blood Origin, has just cast its female lead, who will play a warrior with the voice of a god.
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The Witcher was a gigantic hit for Netflix when it debuted in 2019, so much so that Netflix quickly renewed it for a second season and put several side projects into production. One of these side projects was a live-action limited prequel series, The Witcher: Blood Origin, which has now received its star in Queen & Slim actress Jodie Turner-Smith.
This six-episode series is set 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher, and will take place in the elven world. The Witcher: Blood Origin will tell the story of the “conjunction of the spheres,” which united the worlds of monsters, men, and elves into one. Blood Origin will also follow the story of the first prototype Witcher. Jodie Turner-Smith will play Éile in The Witcher: Blood Origin, a warrior with a beautiful voice that sets out to become a musician. Yet events lead her to go back to her warrior ways on the path for vengeance.
In just a few years, Jodie Turner-Smith has already amassed an impressive resume. Turner-Smith made her acting debut in an episode of True Blood in 2013, and has been a cast member of such shows like The Last Ship, Nightflyers, and the Cinemax series Jett. Turner-Smith has also appeared in such movies as The Neon Demon, Lemon, and Newness. In addition to The Witcher: Blood Origin, Turner-Smith will soon play Queen of England Anne Boleyn in an upcoming Channel 5 drama. She will also be part of two upcoming high-profile films, including Without Remorse, a Jack Ryan spinoff movie starring Michael B. Jordan, and After Yang, starring Colin Farrell.
The Witcher is based on the popular book series from Andrzej Sapkowski, which has also spawned an even more popular series of video games. After its debut in 2019, The Witcher series was called the most-in-demand TV series in the world, ranking higher than even the first season of The Mandalorian. The Witcher has become one of Netflix’s most popular series, becoming the most popular new series on the streaming service in 2019, only second in viewership to Stranger Things.
The Witcher: Blood Origin is being developed by The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and will be showrun by Declan de Barra, who previously worked on The Originals, Iron Fist, and previously wrote an episode of The Witcher. Hissrich is also working on another spinoff, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, an animated film that will tell the story of Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir.
Over the last few years, Netflix has shown the potential in adapting video games well. Not only have they made The Witcher, but they’ve also made the popular Castlevania animated series. This is just the beginning for the streaming service, as they are also working on multiple Resident Evil projects, an Assassin’s Creed series, and more.
While it’s unclear when Jodie Turner-Smith’s Blood Origin will make its debut, The Witcher is scheduled to come back for a second season sometime this year.
