Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | December 24 - 30, 2022 By Dana Simpson TV Media T ype "The Witcher fran- chise" into Google, and the results will reveal a vast and enviable fantasy em- pire. First created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski in 1986, the sprawling tale of monster hunter Geralt of Rivia has now evolved into a number of short stories, comic books and video games, as well as five table-top games, two feature films, two series and one manga to date. On Christmas Day (Sunday, Dec. 25), Netflix expands the Witcher universe with the release of "The Witcher: Blood Origin." A minise- ries spinoff of the hit Netflix adap- tation, which is also set to release its highly discussed third season in the new year, "Blood Origin" is set 1,200 years before "The Witcher" begins. It focuses on the shifts in the elven world and tells the story of the first-ever Witcher. Those unfamiliar with the plot of Netflix's "The Witcher" should know that it follows the afore- mentioned Geralt (a.k.a. the White Wolf, the Butcher of Blaviken and many other nicknames) on his quest to hunt deadly beasts and protect others by eliminating the threat of monstrous violence. Op- timized for monster hunting, thanks (if such a word can be used — he's pretty bitter about it) to a series of unnatural mutations, Geralt travels the land with the bard Jaskier (Joey Batey, "Knight- fall"), who often serenades him with songs of praise. Amid his travels, the Witcher also runs into a series of humans, sorcerers, elves, goblins, merpeo- ple and many more. Among this crowd are the franchise's two oth- er main protagonists: Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra, "Wanderlust"), a sorceress who has an interesting, passionate and complex relationship with Geralt; and Cirilla, a.k.a. Ciri (Freya Allan, "Gunpowder Milkshake," 2021), the former princess of Cintra who was forced to leave her home dur- ing a siege earlier in the first sea- son and find the Witcher. While most talk of "The Witch- er's" upcoming third season re- volves around the departure of leading man Henry Cavill, its "Blood Origin" counterpart doesn't contain the actor at all. In- stead, the prequel welcomes an- other familiar face to the fran- chise: that of "Everything Every- where All at Once" (2022) actress Michelle Yeoh. Yeoh plays Scian, the last living "member of a nomadic tribe of sword-elves on a mission to re- trieve a blade stolen from her peo- ple." On her quest, she is joined by two others: Éile (Sophia Brown, "Giri/Haji"), a queen's guard war- rior "who leaves to becomes a travelling musician" (because what is The Witcher franchise without a bit of nomadic song), and Fjall (Laurence O'Fuarain, "Game of Thrones"), who is de- scribed in the news release as "a man born into a clan of warriors sworn to protect a king, but [who] instead sets out in need of ven- geance." While each member of the trio brings more than their fair share of legendary weapon-wielding in- tensity to the screen, only one character in this saga's origin story can become the main event over the course of four episodes. According to the Netflix release, "'Blood Origin' will tell a story lost to time, exploring the creation of the first prototype Witcher and the events that lead to the pivotal 'Conjunction of the Spheres,' when the worlds of monsters, men and elves merged to become one." That may seem like a lot of ground to cover in just four epi- sodes — ground that, if the trailer is any indication, is riddled with waterfalls, cliffs and gorgeous green hills — but series co-creator Declan de Barra ("The Originals") felt the four-episode format was the best fit for the content. In fact, the series was cut down from an original six episodes during the post-production editing process. When discussing the decision to cut the series by a third, de Barra mentioned that with a streaming platform such as Netflix, there are "no set rules for times or episode count." Furthermore, he didn't want to get to a point "where we're just stringing the audience along to have an episode." "It always had to feel logical and right from a natural storytell- ing point of view," de Barra added. As for the story itself, all signs (and online speculations) point to Fjall as the potential "prototype Witcher." And while this subplot provides a decent amount of back- story to the franchise's leading profession, it's the elves — intro- duced in "The Witcher's" first sea- son and now at their prime (1,200 years prior to that encounter) — who drive the series forward as their world collides with that of terrifying monsters and men. Also starring in the series are Minnie Driver ("Good Will Hunt- ing," 1997) as Seanchaí, Lenny Henry ("The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power") as Chief Druid Balor, Nathanial Curtis ("It's a Sin") as Brían, Dylan Morran ("Run Fatboy Run," 2007) as Uth- rok One-Nut, Mirren Mack ("Sex Education") as Merwyn, Zach Wy- att ("Blythe Spirit," 2020) as Syn- dril and Jacob Collins-Levy ("The White Princess") as Eredin. Chock-full of magic, bravery, creatures and lore, "The Witcher: Blood Origin" is the perfect com- panion piece for anyone looking to indulge in a bit more Witcher prior to the Season 3 release. Alter- nately, its shorter, four-episode for- mat could also be the perfect fran- chise introduction for viewers looking for a starting point. "Blood Origin" is, after all, the very beginning. Don't miss the Christmas Day premiere of "The Witcher: Blood Origin" when it lands Sunday, Dec. 25, on Netflix. And keep those eyes peeled for further announcements regarding "The Witcher" Season 3. Laurence O'Fuarain as Fjall in "The Witcher: Blood Origin" Netflix fantasy franchise expands with 'Blood Origin' 2 | Cover story Grindstone Charlie's 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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