‘The Witcher’ returns with a new lead as Netflix’s fantasy saga enters its final chapters
LONDON:
Netflix fantasy series The Witcher returns to the screens after more than two years with a new lead actor and a new tone, say its creators.
The new installment, which begins airing on Thursday, sees Australian actor Liam Hemsworth take over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill, who played the monster hunter since the series began in 2019 and stepped down after 2023’s third season.
The series is based on the books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and follows Geralt as he hunts monsters in a fantasy realm known as the Continent.
“It was definitely an interesting decision to make, it’s a unique situation,” Hemsworth said of taking over mid-series. “I haven’t forgotten that there is a massive, passionate fan base that really cares about this character and this world. As a fan myself, I felt like I could contribute something to it and I wanted to do justice to this world.”
Hemsworth came to the project with “a lot of ideas”, hoping to inject some levity into Geralt’s storyline. “I play my interpretation of what I think will benefit this world, this story and its journey,” he told Reuters.
Creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said that season four strikes a balance between the dry sense of humor brought by Hemsworth and “super dark moments.” “It feels like a refresh of the show,” she said. “Liam brings a new energy and everyone has risen to respond to that, including what the show looks like, how it sounds, how it moves.”
In the fourth season, Geralt, who was last seen separated from Princess Ciri and the witch Yennefer, teams up with new traveling companions and forms emotional bonds.
Matrix actor Laurence Fishburne is another addition, playing the vampire Regis. New to the fantasy genre, Fishburne was drawn to the diversity he saw in previous seasons. “The way they created this world was very non-traditional. This world is similar to the one we all live in,” he said.
The fourth season was filmed along with the fifth and final season. Together they cover Sapkowski’s three remaining novels Baptism of fire, The Swallow Tower And Lady of the Lake.
