The Witcher: Blood Origin drops on Netflix this Christmas day and while it is sure to be a gift for Witcher fans and everyone discovering the glory that is Michelle Yeoh (who appears as Scían), the cast didn’t always the merriest time nailing some of the dialogue.
The brutal prequel series set 1200 years before The Witcher, Blood Origin is all about how the Elven society was colonized and what led to the creation of the very first demon-hunting Witcher.
Over the span of the four-part miniseries — which also stars Minnie Driver (Seanchaí), Sophia Brown (Éile), Laurence O’Fuarain (Fjall), Mirren Mack (Merwyn), Lenny Henry (Balor), Lizzie Annis (Zacaré), Huw Novelli (Callan “Brother Death”), Francesca Mills (Meldof), Zach Wyatt (Syndril), and Joey Batey (reprising his role as Jaskier from the mothership) — seven outcasts from various tribes unite to battle a monolithic power. A misfit band for sure, these reluctant warriors wind up on a hero’s quest that culminates in the “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.
And as anyone who reads or watches high fantasy content knows, this is a world where names, phrases, locations, and even abilities are, to say the least, the least easy things to say. From Game of Thrones to Rings of Power to The Wheel of Time, some of the biggest scares don’t come from Orcs of Trollocs, but pronunciations! And Blood Origin is now different.
So when we spent the day chatting with members of the cast, of course, we had to ask about navigating scripts filled with funky terms and which words they just couldn’t get right. Because let’s be honest, there is nothing more fun than imagining Minnie Driver flubbing a line while trying to keep her elf ears on straight at the same time.
The Witcher: Blood Origin, 4-Part Special Event Premiere, Sunday, December 25, Netflix
