Netflix revealed the first trailer for its epic fantasy series The Witcher at Comic-Con on Friday. Star Henry Cavill was there for the unveiling during Netflix’s Hall H presentation, which included a panel featuring writer/executive producer/showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Cavill’s fellow cast members Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan.
The eight-episode original series is based on Andrzej Sapkowsk’s fantasy books that centre on Cavill’s famed monster hunter Geralt of Rivia and his struggle to find his place in the world of The Continent, where humans, elves, witchers, gnomes and monsters battle to survive and thrive.
Cavill was a huge fan of the games, and when he heard that Schmidt Hissrich was developing the series, “I annoyed the hell out of her,” the Man of Steel actor said. Schmidt Hissrich saw 247 actors before she settled on Cavill. “He came into read, and we gave him the part that day,” said the series creator.
During the panel, Cavill explained what a Witcher is: “They’re young boys, who are taken from the streets and left to fend for themselves. Ultimately, they’re taken in by a group of witches who are trained in a level of inhuman agility and endurance. From there they’re subjected to various chemical trials and become mutants. Most of these children do not survive. After that, they’re trained in monster hunting, and that becomes their one sole purpose in the world, and they’re rejected by people.”
Kapkowski, who wrote eight books in the series, is a creative consultant on the Netflix show. There is no release date yet for the series.
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