Henry Cavill is trading in his Superman cape for another uniform. The Mission: Impossible—Fallout and Justice League actor will star in the lead role for Netflix’s new series based on The Witcher, according to Variety. The fantasy series originally started out as a set of novels and short stories, and later were adapted into best-selling video games.
The fantasy series follows monster hunters who “develop supernatural abilities” to battle against dangerous beasts that inhabit the world. Cavill will play Geralt of Rivia, a lone monster hunter who crosses paths with “a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret.”
UPDATE: The first trailer is here—and it’s badass:
People linked by destiny will always find each other. Welcome to the Continent. #TheWitcher pic.twitter.com/tqWZtb7pfa
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) July 19, 2019
The series will have an eight-episode first season and will be executive produced by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (Daredevil, The Defenders), who will also serve as showrunner. Alik Sakharov, who has directed multiple episodes of Game of Thrones, is an executive producer and will direct four episodes of the show. Deadline reports that the series will likely debut “in the last three months” of 2019.
With a release date and a trailer likely coming soon, Netflix has released the first official poster and photos of The Witcher, including looks at Cavill’s character Geralt as well as Yennefer (Anya Cholatra), and Ciri (Freya Allan).
Here’s a really badass look at Cavill’s character Geralt and his horse Roach:
You begged, we delivered. Here’s your first look at Roach! #TheWitcher pic.twitter.com/Ll3LWtWcg7
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) July 16, 2019
Here’s a look at the new poster:
It begins: @witchernetflix pic.twitter.com/B9ctKEefMx
— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) July 1, 2019
And here’s what Cavill and the other characters will look like:
Get your first look at Geralt (Henry Cavill), Yennefer (Anya Cholatra), and Ciri (Freya Allan) in #TheWitcher pic.twitter.com/2l0R2vgBZt
— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) July 1, 2019
Last year, Cavill teased the first official look at his character on the show in a screen test video on his Instagram. Here’s what he’ll look like:
Cavill is no stranger to TV after starring on The Tudors previously, but in recent years he’s been all about projects on the big screen. Apart from playing Superman in Justice League and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Cavill donned a badass mustache in Mission: Impossible—Fallout, played a special forces officer in Sand Castle, and did his best James Bond impression in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Now, Cavill will get the chance to hunt some beasts in The Witcher. While the show doesn’t have an official release date yet, some time in 2019 looks likely.
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