Context:
"It boils down to a couple things. One, this property has such a passionate fanbase. I think any leak at all was going to attract this type of attention, and with any attention comes backlash to that attention. I do think that whatever information is trickling out there, there will be people responding positively to it and people responding negatively to it. I think that’s just part of making a television show, and especially a show this big. In terms of why people responded so strongly, I think the fans really have pictures of these characters in their minds and I don’t blame them for that. I get it. When I read my favorite books I certainly imagine characters a certain way. There’s obviously a couple lines of description of Ciri in the books and people become very enamored with their own vision of it. I think coming in as a writer and saying my vision might look different than yours is scary for fans, but truthfully I don’t think it has to be. One of the things I feel most strongly about is people being afraid that we’re going to strip out the cultural context of The Witcher, to remove its Slavic roots, the very thing people in Poland are proud of. That couldn’t be further from the truth. What I’ve always wanted to do is take these Slavic stories and give them a global audience."
Although the Netflix series is directly inspired by the fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski rather than the wildly popular video game takes by CD Projekt Red, Ciri and Yennefer are well known characters to fans of the game. Ciri played a major role in the widely-lauded Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, as a ward of Geralt’s and princess of the Kingdom of Cintra, while Yennefer, a powerful sorceress, is one of Geralt’s main love interests in the games, as she will be in the TV series.
The news also comes with even more casting confirmations. Jodhi May will play Queen Calanthe of Cintra, while Björn Hlynur Haraldsson will play her husband, Eist. Adam Levy will play Mousesack the Druid; MyAnna Buring the head of a magical academy named Tissaia (with Mimi Ndiweni and Therica Wilson-Read as two apprentice sorcerers, Fringilla and Sabrina); and lastly, Millie Brady will play an outcast princess, Renfri.
That actress playing Ciri is looking super-young. Like, how old is Ciri when she first appears in the books? I only know The Witcher through the games...
On an unrelated note, what are the chances of seeing something from Cyberpunk 2077?
Or was that more from the games and not from the books, and ergo, not happening?
Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Oct 10th 2018 at 2:04:20 PM
Lost in Space
The actress playing Yennefer looks super young, never mind Ciri.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Destroyer of Worlds
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
In the short stories, Ciri's supposed to be 12, I believe.
Yen's actress is 22.
Edited by MadSkillz on Oct 10th 2018 at 11:07:37 AM
"You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty."
Lost in Space
And she's supposed to romance Geralt, played by a 35-year old man. I guess it's not completely implausible.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
And she's a Vain Sorceress, so I guess that works. Would still prefer the slightly older Yennefer of the games, where she's young but has a very distinguished air. We'll see how it plays out.
Foreign Troper
I still think that 22 is way too young.
Edited by Forenperser on Oct 11th 2018 at 8:34:04 PM
Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
Isn't Yennifer using magic to change her physical appearence? I mean, if I could live as an attractive 22 year old into my 30s, I might consider doing so.
Also, casting younger means that its not so jarring when these shows go for year or two between seasons. And since Geralt looks a lot more aged compared to the rest of the cast, I don't mind the age gap TOO much. I do mind it in the sense that actor age differents tend to be MASSIVE with women being in early 20s and men being 35 and older.
I can't say quite how I feel right now.
King of Anime
I mean I'm not familiar with the franchise but from what I've heard and read Yennefer is supposed to look like shes in her twenties so 22 sounds like it's just fine.
The thing people are complaining about is that the picture of her that is easiest to find is her imdb mugshot, in which she looks like a teenager, which Yen would not - Witches shape their appearance for maximum social effectiveness, and "17" would not convey the necessary authority. But that is just that specific shot - I found some other pictures of her, that are a much better match. So, basically, storm in a tea cup. I am somewhat more concerned that her imdb listing is really short, but well, presumably she screentested well?
Edited by Izeinsummer on Oct 13th 2018 at 7:30:07 AM
Lost in Space
I miss Geralt's scars. But I guess this is early in his career when he hasn't been torn to shreds by every beast in the world.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Perpetually Confused
The fact they didn't whiten his eyebrow looks awful. It looks like a cheap costume.
It's a bird.
Game-Geralt has dark eyebrows too. Cavill looks a little Uncanny Valley-esque in that shot imo, but I think it works.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Herald of Endless Research.
I think they should work a little bit more on that makeup, but ok otherwise. It would be fun of Geralt gained scars over the course of the series.
“You can’t be an important and life-changing presence for some people without also being a joke and embarrassment to others.” -Mark Manson.
Foreign Troper
Lost in Space
Quite diverse. I won't even pretend to try to judge until I see the final product.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
The Showrunner of Dzwiedz 24
Okay, now with Triss, they're asking for trouble. But that chick they cast as Toruviel looks pretty interesting.
And the guy they cast as Istredd will probably look pretty cool dressed as a wizard, too.
Edited by NotSoBadassLongcoat on Nov 4th 2018 at 1:30:46 PM
"what the complete, unabridged, 4k ultra HD fuck with bonus features" - Mark Von Lewis
I know people like their redheads, but Triss is like Yennifer. Her ethnicity isn't actually important. Plus, she wasn't a redhead in the books, and this series is supposed to be based more on the books than the games.
Takat Empress
But she was still white in the books, right?
Mileena Madness
Probably. Nearly everyone was, since the series takes place in fantasy Europe. But there are plenty of other skin tones mentioned, so they clearly exist. And the sorceresses are the easiest to Race Lift, since their ethnicities and birth families are completely irrelevant.
Because they can make themselves look as they wish, right?
I only just got into Witcher off the third game. Kind of still learning the lore.
That, and they were all kicked out of their families, so where they came from just doesn't matter.
Sapkowski has also said the world was populated with humans taken via other means so there's a pretty large diversity in the setting.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
So, Nilfgaardians are called "the black ones", right?
Check who they cast as Fringilla Vigo.
I cackled obnoxiously.
And I shall cackle even more obnoxiously when the inevitable shitstorm arises.
"what the complete, unabridged, 4k ultra HD fuck with bonus features" - Mark Von Lewis