Whilst we wait for The Witcher season 3, to arrive this summer, The Witcher: Blood Origin is here to keep you locked into the world of Netflix's fantasy universe.
A four-part miniseries, this prequel to the TV show takes us to the Continent (the land of the show) 1200 years prior to the events of The Witcher, and it tells the story of the creation of the first Witcher (and lots more important tidbits of lore).
Don't expect to seen Henry Cavill in The Witcher: Blood Origin (or Liam Hemsworth, who's set to replace him), because the show features a brand-new cast of characters. This story isn't based on the book, either, as it's its own thing.
Blood Origin is now available to stream, and we've included everything you need to know about the Witcher spin-off below including the full cast list and trailers. Here's everything we know about The Witcher: Blood Origin right now...
What is the The Witcher: Blood Origin release date?
The Witcher: Blood Origin was a Christmas treat, as Netflix released the series on December 25, 2022.
How do I watch The Witcher: Blood Origin?
As with the main series Witcher shows, Blood Origin is a Netflix exclusive, so you'll need to use the popular streaming service to watch it.
Thanks to the launch of Netflix Basic with Ads recently, you can see the show for as little as $6.99 / £4.99 per month, though spending more will get you higher-resolution streams and no ads.
How many episodes will The Witcher: Blood Origin have?
Blood Origin is a limited series that serves as a prequel to The Witcher, with four (previously advertised as six) episodes planned for the upcoming limited series.
If the news that the show's been cut down to a four-part event is disappointing, don't worry; there's loads more Witcher content still to come.
What is The Witcher: Blood Origin about?
The Witcher: Blood Origin is a prequel to the original Netflix series that will tell a story set far before the events we've seen in the books or the Netflix shows so far and will reveal some of The Continent's history.
Netflix's description for the series reads: "Every story has a beginning. Witness the untold history of the Continent with The Witcher: Blood Origin, a new prequel series set in the elven Golden Era, 1200 years before the events of The Witcher.
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"
Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski is on board as a creative consultant and The Witcher showrunner, Lauren S. Hissrich, is acting as an executive producer on the series.
The Witcher: Blood Origin cast
The two biggest names attached to the prequel series are Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Scían, a surviving member of a group of elves on a personal quest, and Sir Lenny Henry (The Rings of Power) as the villain, Chief Druid Balor.
First look at @LennyHenry as Chief Druid Balor in 'The Witcher: Blood Origin" (via @DailyMailTV) pic.twitter.com/rHIIeso5wfSeptember 19, 2021
At Tudum, Netflix revealed that another huge star had joined the cast. Oscar-nominee Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) was revealed to be starring in the show as its narrator, Seanchai. That announcement labelled Seanchai as "a shapeshifting collector of old lore with the abilities to travel between time and worlds"
The Witcher: Blood Origin also stars Laurence O'Fuarain as Fjall, Sophia Brown as Éile, Mirren Mack as Merwyn, comedian Dylan Moran as Uthrok One-Nut, Jacob-Collins-Levy as Eredin, Nathaniel Curtis as Brían, Lizzie Annis as Zacaré, Huw Novelli as Callan “Brother Death”, Francesca Mills as Meldof, Amy Murray as Fenrik, Zach Wyatt as Syndril and Aidan O'Callaghan as Kareg.
Jodie Turner-Smith was originally cast as Éile, but she was forced to leave the show due to scheduling conflicts back in April 2021, leaving Netflix to recast the role
When the trailers arrived, we also learned that a fan-favorite character from the mainline series is set to make an appearance in Blood Origin, as Joey Batey's bard, Jaskier popped up in the final moments!
Is there a trailer?
On December 3, 2022, we were treated to a fresh The Witcher: Blood Origin trailer. In it, we hear someone recounting the story of what's to come. An evil empire has descended and taken control of The Continent, and seven warriors have been brought together to fight 'an unstoppable empire'.
Below you can also find previous teaser trailers for The Witcher: Blood Origin. Beginning with Michelle Yeoh honing her swordplay, the official teaser devolved into a showcase of battle scenes, brawls, and magic.
At the end of The Witcher season 2, we were treated to the below first look at our traveling band of heroes for Blood Origin. This exciting teaser gives us our first glimpse at our new stars, the show's stunning setting, and some of the brutal fights that we've come to expect from anything set in The Witcher universe.
Back in September 2021, Declan de Barra offered up a tongue-in-cheek set tour. He didn't give much away and joked about having genetically engineered the monsters that appear in the show, but it was a fun little behind-the-scenes trailer ahead of the official teaser that we've since gotten to see.
