Tis the time for fantasy series, what with Game of Thrones still a cultural touchstone for millions of viewers. Netflix is coming out with their own dark epic of elves, witches, and magic with their adaptation of The Witcher. And now, on the weekend of San Diego Comic Con, we get our first look:
Based on the novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and likely the subsequent video game series of the same name, The Witcher follows Geralt, played by Henry Cavill, who hunts demons in a land called Continent. He will be joined by sorceress Yennefer, played by Anya Chalotra, and the mysterious young Ciri, played by Freya Allan.
The panel premiered the trailer above, and several clips which Netflix chose not to upload (yet, at least). The actors then answered questions and gave their thoughts
“He’s not your average hero,” Cavill said of his character during the panel at the convention. “He’s a tough person who won’t treat everybody perfectly. He’s very hard on the exterior because that’s what he believes the world is… and all the decisions get him into trouble.”
“Yennefer is on a journey on self discovery,” Chalotra added about her own character. “We look at her power and also her vulnerabilities, which make her a true survivor… She’s on a quest to find unconditional love.”
And before you worry they’ll try to make it more kid-friendly for a border audience, have no fear. “It’s a very adult show. I will add it was important to me that any violence or sex drives the story and is not there just for shock value. I think audiences are really savvy and know when we’re doing stuff to just shock them versus do stuff that really drives the story,” showrunner Lauren Hissrich tells Entertainment Weekly.
The Witcher is set to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2019.