Following Netflix's announcement that filming on Season 2 of The Witcher had wrapped, further details have been released regarding the newest cast members joining the grim fantasy series.
As reported by Redanian Intelligence, the upcoming season of the show is set to introduce a large selection of key players in The Witcher universe. It was revealed that Eredin, Lara Dorren and King Vizimir are all set to appear, with many more also announced. While many of the new characters will be recognizable to fans of the books, Eredin in particular will be a familiar face. The leader of the Red Riders of the Wild Hunt, who will be played by British actor Sam Hazeldine, was the lead antagonist of the video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Some fans of the games were surprised to see the Wild Hunt, given that the Red Riders don't become the main villains until the most recent game, which subsequently takes place after all of the books and two other games. However, while not the driving force of the plot, the riders do appear occasionally in the books as either passing references or obstacles.
Lara Dorren, the legendary elven sorceress, will be played by the Irish actor Niamh McCormack. The name might also sound familiar to gamers, as she was mentioned on occasion by the likes of Keiera Metz and Avallac'h. Her story is intrinsically linked to Ciri's heritage as well as the history of the elves. As for King Vizimir, not to be confused with Geralt's mentor Vesemir, he will be played by Ed Birch. As King of Redania during the events of the books, gamers will be more familiar with his son Radovid. It will be through this king that other key players, including Philipa Eilhart and Sigismund Dijkstra, influence the politics between the feuding nations.
The announcement also revealed other characters from the books, such as Jarre played Joseph Payne, and Ann Firbank as Ithlinne. Jarre will play a role as an acquaintance in Ciri's story, whereas Ithlinne was an elven oracle with a talent for divination. There were also two mysterious players revealed, as Netflix introduced two original characters to the story. Ania Marson was presented as Voleth Meir, a demonic figure in the guise of an old woman. The other will be Aylne, played by Emily Byrt, whose exact role in the story has yet to be made entirely clear.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, Freya Allan as Ciri and Joey Batey as Jaskier. Season 1 is now available on Netflix.
Source: Redanian Intelligence