Henry Cavill, best known for playing Superman in DC’s recent superhero films, has signed on to star in Netflix’s The Witcher. The series is based on Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series and has Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s The Defenders, Umbrella Academy) on board as executive producer and season one showrunner.
According to Netflix’s official announcement, Henry Cavill will take on the lead role of Geralt of Rivia in the series. Netflix says Cavill’s “a massive fan of Andrzej Sapkowski’s series of fantasy short stories and novels about the witcher Geralt of Rivia.”
Season one will consist of eight episodes. Executive producer Alik Sakharov (House of Cards, Game of Thrones) will direct the first episode as well as three additional episodes. Alex Garcia Lopez (Marvel’s Luke Cage, Utopia) will direct two episodes as will Charlotte Brändström (Outlander, Counterpart, Disparue).
“Andrzej Sapkowski has created a rich and memorable world, at once magical and familiar,” stated Erik Barmack, Netflix Vice President, international series, when the series was announced back in August 2017. “We couldn’t be more excited about bringing The Witcher saga to Netflix members around the world.”
“I’m thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories, staying true to the source material and the themes that I have spent over thirty years writing,” stated author Sapkowski. “I’m excited about our efforts together, as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life.”
Henry Cavill’s credits include Mission: Impossible – Fallout, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Tudors, Cold Light of Day, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Immortals.
The Witcher Plot: Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.
