Due to a lack of details surrounding one of the Continent's most powerful sorceresses, fans were beginning to doubt that Netflix would introduce Philippa Eilhart in The Witcher.
It has now been confirmed that the former advisor to Redanian kings has been cast and will appear in The Witcher Season 2. Redanian Intelligence has reported that Eilhart will be played by Cassie Clare, who has appeared in shows such as Hulu's The Bisexual and Peacock's Brave New World.
Philippa Eilhart was introduced in Andrzej Sapkowski's Blood of Elves, appearing alongside her seemingly former lover, Sigismund Dijkstra, who may appear in the series, though details concerning his casting are as of yet unknown. Eilhart is one of the oldest sorceresses in the novels and is one of the few capable of polymorphy, an ability she has been known to use to transform into an owl. More importantly, throughout the novels, she plays an important role in the pursuit of Ciri, the war between the Northern Realms and Nilfgaard, and in the shift of power among the mages and sorceresses-- founding the Lodge of Sorceresses.
In addition to the novels, Eilhart also played a prominent role in CD Projekt Red's successful Witcher video game trilogy, though it should be noted that her story as depicted in the games deviate from the source material. The games saw her antagonistic relationship with Radovid V come to a head, with the Redanian king removing Philippa's eyes with a spoon as an act of veangeance for her part in the assassination of his father. In the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, depending on whether or not players complete a certain questline, Philippa is able to get her revenge and aids Geralt and her fellow sorceresses in the search for Ciri and the battle against Eredin and his Aen Elle forces.
Season 2 of The Witcher is currently in production. The series was previously scheduled to complete filming in February before delays caused by both the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and an on-set injury suffered by star Henry Cavill.
Read the full synopsis for The Witcher Season 2 below:
Convinced Yennefer's life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent's kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.
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