by Thinus Ferreira
Netflix has decided to commission an origin story prequel spin-off of The Witcher fantasy series with The Witcher: Blood Origin that will be a 6-episode, limited miniseries set 1 200 years before the events of The Witcher that is currently filming its second season.
Like The Witcher with Henry Cavill in the lead role that will resume filming in the United Kingdom from August after a shutdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Witcher: Blood Origin will also be done in the United Kingdom, although no production date has been announced.
The Witcher: Blood Origin will tell the story of the origin of the first Witcher before the fall of the Elven civilisation, with Declan de Barra as showrunner and executive producer, and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich as executive producer.
The story will focus on the events that lead to the "pivotal conjunction of the spheres when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one".
"As a lifelong fan of fantasy, I am beyond excited to tell the story of The Witcher: Blood Origin," says Declan de Barra 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 civilisations, 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 civilisation before its fall, and most importantly reveal the forgotten history of the very first Witcher."
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich says in the statement, "I am so thrilled to collaborate with Declan and the Netflix team on The Witcher: Blood Origin".
" 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."
The Polish author and creator of The Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski, says "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."
