‘The Witcher’ returns with a new protagonist as the Netflix fantasy saga enters its final chapters
LONDON:
Netflix fantasy series the witcher returns to screens after more than two years with a new lead actor and a fresh tone, say its creators.
In the new installment, which begins airing on Thursday, Australian actor Liam Hemsworth takes on the role of Geralt of Rivia instead of Henry Cavill, who has played the monster hunter since the series began in 2019 and stepped down after the third season in 2023.
The show 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, it’s a unique situation,” Hemsworth said of taking on the role midway through the series. “It wasn’t lost on me that there is a massive, passionate fan base that truly cares about this character and this world. As a fan, I felt like I could contribute something and 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 story. “I’m playing my interpretation of what I think will be beneficial for this world, this story and its journey,” he told Reuters.
Creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said the fourth season strikes a balance between Hemsworth’s dry sense of humor and “super dark moments.” “It feels like a renewal for the program,” he said. “Liam brings a new energy and everyone lived up to that, including how the show looks, how it sounds and how it moves.”
In season four, Geralt, who was last seen separated from Princess Ciri and the sorceress Yennefer, teams up with new traveling companions and forms emotional connections.
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 projected this world was very untraditional. This world looks like the world we all live in,” he said.
The fourth season was filmed 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.
