When Netflix reveal it was make a video adaptation of The Witcher , Henry Cavill immediately wanted in . However , producers still try out over 200 actors for Geralt beforechoosing him for the task . Why did it take four calendar month and hundreds of histrion before going with the leading man who want to be there in the first place ? Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich explains .
During a press roundtable at San Diego Comic - Con , io9 ask Hissrich to refine on a revelation fromThe Witcher panelthat they ’d auditioned 207 other actor before take Cavill — even though he ’d gone to the streaming web expressing interest , well , basically as soon as he heard about the show existing .
“ As soon as it was announced it was going to be a show , he contacted his agents who contacted Netflix and state he wants to be part of this . And Netflix was like , ‘ We do n’t have a show yet , there ’s nothing to be a part of ! ’ ” Hissrich told me . “ Once I get along on gameboard they expressed that to me , and I sit down and met him . But I was really fair with him and I sound out , ‘ It ’s really great to meet you , you seem like a nice guy . But we do n’t have a hand , we ’re not even casting . ’ And he model back and understood . ”
It’s been a long road, Geralt of Rivia.Image: Netflix (YouTube)
https://gizmodo.com/yes-there-is-a-bathtub-in-netflixs-the-witcher-1836547479
Over the trend of about four months , Hissrich and the other producers auditioned 207 role player for the part of Geralt of Rivia . That ’s not necessarily an unprecedented number , but it is pretty high — especially knowing that Cavill , a star whoplayed Supermanin several DC pic , not only wanted the part but love The Witcher series like the back of his hired man . Hissrich explained that she thought it would be best to cast a across-the-board net and see who else was out there , because she was n’t sure Cavill was the right scene . But as talented as the actor were , it keep open come in back to him :
The really interesting matter is that I do think with throw away you have to see everything to know that you have the right-hand matter . And having met with Henry , I knew he wanted the show but that did n’t stand for that he necessarily was the right person for the show . So I met everyone else that also thought they were the right somebody for the show .
We had nifty tryout , but aboveboard I could n’t get Henry ’s vox out of my head as I started write , and ultimately I called him back and said , “ Are you still concerned ? ” And he was like , “ Absolutely . What do I need to do ? ” And I said , “ I need to hear you be Geralt . ” So we both flew to New York and basically did an audition , and he was pretty much engage on the spot .
Cavill ’s casting did leave in some interesting choices and changes for the case . For example , Cavill insisted on doing all of his own stunts . Every time you see Geralt perform an activity sequence , it ’s really Cavill , and Hissrich explain that the actor had all the cuts , bruises , and “ enfeeblement to prove it . ”
Hissrich also noted that there was one thing she finish up changing to good suit Cavill ’s take on the character : This reading of Geralt lecture right smart less than he was in the first place supposed to .
“ One of the things that likely agitate the most once we throw off Henry is that Geralt speak a passel less than I ab initio destine . In the Book , Geralt ’s really quite chatty . He verbalize a lot . What I chance , though , is that on - silver screen — particularly with Henry depict him — a lot can be done in looks and in grunt . Henry ’s a big grunter . I signify that in the good way potential , ” she say . “ It ’s kind of amazing what is execute in secretiveness , and I recall makes him that much more powerful of a character . ”
The other interesting casting floor from The Witcher is connected to Ciri , played in the serial by Freya Allan . harmonise to Hissrich , the whole process was “ really unmanageable . ” She ’d initially planned for Ciri to be play by a child , following the character ’s fib and trajectory in the books . Unfortunately , they could n’t find the veracious young actor for the part — especially because they needed someone who could “ grow up fast ” to match the show ’s quicker - paced progress . Combined with complicated child toil natural law that limit an doer ’s ability to shoot at night , finally , Hissrich came to an dead end .
“ Someone enounce to me : ‘ I ’m not sure that Ciri is get going to be able to be a big part of the series . ’ And I was like , ‘ Well , that ’s not gon na form for me . ’ So we skew a little bit older , ” she articulate .
Hissrich went on to apportion the taradiddle of choosing Allan for the part of Ciri , who was a freshman who ’d ab initio been cast for a different part :
We had actually cast her for another role . She had signed the contract , and was sign on for a one - episode office in episode one . We met everyone we could receive for for Ciri and I still just was n’t finding it , I could n’t chance that variety of the person who embodied her in the way that I wanted them to … Sophie Holland , our casting theatre director , actually call me and said , “ I think we should think about Freya Allan for this . ”
In the terminal , the casting of Cavill , Allan , and Anya Chalotra as Yennefer was kind of kismet . While Chalotra was thefirst and well-to-do castingof the trio , all three role player were hired on the spot once they ’d finally gotten a chance to study for the roles . As Hissrich put it , it showed they ’d receive the correct fit .
“ For Henry , for Anya , and for Freya , each of them was stray in the elbow room when we finally got in the room , which was incredible , ” she said . “ That ’s how you know [ you have ] the proper person . ”
The Witcher debuts on Netflix afterwards this year .
Correction : A previous version of this story misspell Lauren Schmidt Hissrich ’s name in a few places . We have updated to correct and we repent the misplay .
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