The Witcher is an interesting adventure in a world full of monsters, magic and war kingdoms. It is a hit show on Netflix that is based on the book series and the game series of the same name. Its producers, actors and staff have ensured that their hard work has created something new and unique. Here are the 10 behind-the-scenes facts that most fans don’t know about Netflix show The Witcher.
NUMBER 10. GERALT AND YENNEFER PERFORMED THEIR ACTION
SEQUENCES THEMSELVES
Henry Cavill played Geralt of Rivia, and as the main lead and the Witcher, he had multiple fight sequences and action scenes. Although many of the fans have noticed by now that Cavill is seen clearly in every sequence, the fun fact is that he didn’t have any body-doubles. Yes, you listen right, Henry Cavill did all his stunts himself and went through a strict training regime throughout the filming. Henry Cavill is a dedicated actor and made the character realistic with his action and swordsmanship. Another actor who did most of her stunts on her own was Yennefer, played by Anya Chalotra.
NUMBER 9. ELDER SPEECH IS REAL
While English is the primary language of the series, several of the characters who can use magic, like Geralt and Yennefer, know Elder Speech. Much like fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien, who invented Elvish for The Lord of the Rings, Andrezej Sapkowski wanted to create a unique language for the world he was building in his books. David J. Peterson (who created the Dothraki and Valyrian tongues for Game of Thrones) used a combination of German, Welsh, Irish, and Latin to create Elder Speech for the show.
NUMBER 8. FREYA ALLEN WASN’T SUPPOSED TO PLAY CIRI
Freya Allen, who played Ciri, a captivating character that engages both the storyline and the audience on her journey throughout the show. But actually, she wasn’t supposed to play that role; instead, she was cast for a minor role in the first episode as “Marilka.” But as fate had it, show-makers didn’t find any marvellous actor for the role, and after the suggestion of Sophie Holland, Freya was cast.
NUMBER 7. THE DRYADS ARE ALL NATURAL
In episode four, “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials,” the audience is introduced to the all-female forest dwellers: the Dryads. In this episode and the one that follows, they provide Princess Ciri with shelter and allow her a brief reprieve from her journey following the fall of Cintra. Real tree bark, leaves, and other plant materials were incorporated into the Dryad armor, with some costumes even sporting (imitation) human bones.
NUMBER 6. BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN THE GAME AND THE SERIES
While most of the influence of the show comes from Andrezej Sapkowski’s novel with the same title, the series also had some hidden ties to the video game too. ‘Tomek Baginski’ brought the concept of The Witcher to Netflix, and also there are some reference scenes just to give fans a nostalgia for games.
NUMBER 5. LINKS TO GAME OF THRONES
The Witcher can’t help but be compared to another popular medieval fantasy series, Game of Thrones. It even has a few connections. It also featured fight choreography by Vladimir Furdik, who helped train Kit Harrington on Game of Thrones as well as played the Night King as his sworn enemy. He trained Henry Cavill to wield his sword with effortless grace, including creating a balletic fighting style just for Geralt.
NUMBER 4. MOST OF GERALT’S DIALOGUE WAS CUT
Originally when Lauren Schmidt was writing the script, Geralt had much more dialogue. Henry Cavill shot all the scripted scenes but in the editing room, she found that he was capable of conveying much of the content of his lines with facial expressions and body language. When all was said and done, over half of his dialogue was cut, turning him into the hulking brooder that we see on screen. Much of what Geralt is going through can be seen in Cavill’s performance, leaving the chattier banter to Jaskier or Yennefer. Cavill did work on giving Geralt a particular “Rivian” accent that was memorable.
NUMBER 3. IT HAS A FEW CONNECTIONS TO THE GAME
The series is based on Andrezej Sapkowski’s books and not the popular video game series, but Tomek Baginski, an award-winning animator who helped bring the games’ stunning visuals tonight was the one responsible for pitching The Witcher to Netflix. Not only that, but Baginski is on the production board for Platige, the Polish production company behind the series, ensuring that while it doesn’t follow the games’ storylines there are still references for fans to enjoy. For instance, the “Geralt bathtub scene” that is the opening sequence of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
NUMBER 2. HENRY CAVILL NET NET WORTH
Henry Cavill is the star of this series. He plays Geralt, but fans also know him as Superman. His character is known as a witcher and his destiny becomes intertwined with Ciri’s after he invokes a sacred law on her mother. He has starred in Man of Steel, Immortals, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. He is originally from England and is the fourth in a family of five boys. He is not married, despite being previously engaged, so he now has a net worth of $25 million to spend on himself.
NUMBER 1. IT’S REALISTIC WITHIN REASON
The producers and show-runners of the series knew that they couldn’t adapt it from the games because too much of it would look silly. They had the noble task of trying to make a show that walked a line between the fun and whimsy of fantasy, while still capturing the grit and realism of medieval times. Even developments in characterization reflect a more grounded tone, like Jaskier being toned down from his effervescent counterpart.
So what’s your thoughts on the show feel free to let us know in the comments.
Thank you for watching the video! Smash that Like Button and share this video to your friends, Also Hit Subscribe to Black Slate Studios and press the bell Icon to never miss any update.