It's been a while since we had any updates on Netflix's The Witcher prequel series, but we're now hearing that a significant change to the show's debut season was made during a recent round of reshoots.
According to RedanianIntelligence.com (who are usually spot-on when it comes to The Witcher-related news), Blood Origin will no longer run for six episodes after being cut down to four. The entire season was already shot, which suggests that heavy edits and fairly extensive reshoots must have been required.
We do have better news for Jaskier fans, however, as it seems Joey Batey's slightly irritating bard will now have an expanded role, likely in an effort to introduce more connectivity to The Witcher.
Blood Origin will star Michelle Yeoh (Shang-Chi, Gunpowder Milkshake) as Scían, "the very last of her nomadic tribe of sword-elves, she is an artist with the blade, on a deadly quest that will change the fate of the Continent." She'll be joined by Laurence O’Fuarain (Game of Thrones, Vikings, Black 47) as Fjall, "a warrior who was born into a clan sworn to protect a King," and Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen and Slim, True Blood, Nightflyers) as Éile, "a warrior turned travelling musician from a rival clan."
Specific plot details are still mostly under wraps, but we do know that the show will be set 1200 years before the events of The Witcher, and focus on the origin of the very first monster hunter as well as the events that lead to the pivotal "conjunction of the spheres."
Declan de Barra will serve as showrunner and will also executive produce along with Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. The Witcher novelist Andrzej Sapkowski is on board as creative consultant.
Blood Origin is set to premiere later this year, but no official release date has been announced.