For little over a week Netflix left us Witcher fans clueless in every aspect about their newly announced series, a spin-off based on the Witcher novels. The only thing we did know was that Netflix is actually planning to release it at some point in time. Now, the company announced on Facebook which actor is going to take on the role of protagonist Geralt of Rivia.
According to Netflix’s post, Hollywood star Nicolas Cage will embody witcher Geralt in the series. Cage is renowned for masterpieces like Dog Eat Dog, Vampire’s Kiss and Seeking Justice. It really is a lucky find for the producer: Cage is regarded as an immaculate actor, able to fit into every imaginable role.
It’s not the first time someone tried to create a TV series based on the book series about monster slayer Geralt of Rivia, written in the 90s by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. In 2002, Polish television network Telewizja Polska impressed their viewers by how vividly they recreated the early stories about the witcher. There even was an incredible film version, cut together from pieces of the series, which has been at the first place in IMDb.com‘s movie rankings for over 5 years now with a perfect score of 10/10.
“Geralt often finds himself in need for money. That means he has to basically accept every assignment, no matter how bad it might me. I am able to detect certain parallels to Nicolas here.”
– Nicolas Cage’s Manager
This means that Netflix has a legacy of masterpieces to live up to when producing a new series dealing with the adventures of Geralt of Rivia. In that sense it does not seem too surprising that the company tries everything to cast the perfect actors for the gritty protagonist characters. Fans of the novels and the games would probably be very upset, would Geralt not be a grey-haired senior, Yennefer of Vengerberg not a red-haired magician, and Cirilla Fiora Ellen of Riviannon not an illustrous princess. Yes, for us hardcore Witcher fans authenticity is really important when comparing the upcoming series to the original books.
But with Nicolas Cage as Geralt of Rivia there is not much probability of failure. The gifted master actor already proved in “Season of the Witch” how versatile his talent is. To lovers of films, Cage is especially renowned for his ability to transition to profoundly different characters, both regarding manner and looks.
There is not much else public information regarding the rest of the cast for the Witcher series. Netflix implied that they are contemplating Pamela Anderson or Dolly Parton for the role of Geralt’s lover Yennefer. The executives simply haven’t been able to decide yet because both of them seem to be a perfect fit for the character.
