We've just been treated to a massive dollop of casting news for season two of Netflix's The Witcher, and there's a lot to be excited about. There are some familiar faces from the books and games set to join Henry Cavill's Geralt in the next season of the epic fantasy series - including two fellow witchers.
If you've played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, or are familiar with the original novels of Andrzej Sapkowski, you'll already be acquainted with Lambert and Eskel. Both Witchers trained with Geralt as part of the school of the Wolf, and all three learned their craft under Vesemir at Kaer Morhen, the ancestral home of the witchers.
I found the trio of Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert to be particularly entertaining in CD Projekt RED's open world RPG. The three together made for one of the best quests in the game, while a journey that Lambert and Geralt embark upon together sets the scene for my absolute favourite moment in the entire Witcher franchise.
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It remains to be seen if the trio will have that same chemistry in the Netflix show, but the casting has me confident. Lambert is to be played Peaky Blinders actor Paul Bullion. Meanwhile, Eskel will be played by Thue Ersted Rasmussen, who is also set to appear in the upcoming Fast & Furious movie.
Elsewhere, Yasen Atour has been cast as Coen, a character who played a key role in the Blood of Elves book. Coen trains Ciri at Kaer Morhen, so perhaps we'll start to see the very early stages of Ciri's transformation from young girl in distress to complete badass.
Games of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju will play Nivellen, while Aisha Fabienne Ross has been cast as Lydia. If you've read Sapkowski's first book, you'll already know all about these characters. Again, I don't want to spoil anything, but they both feature in one of the original book's best chapters, and I can't wait to see their story adapted for the Netflix show. Rounding out the new announcements, we have Mecia Simson as Francesca, the queen of the elves of Dol Blathanna.
"The reaction to season one of The Witcher set a high bar for adding new talent for the second season," showrunner Lauren S Hisstich said of the latest casting. "Sophie Holland and her casting team have once again found the very best people to embody these characters, and in the hands of these accomplished directors, we're excited to see these new stories come to life."
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The new additions will join stars Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, and Joey Batey, who are set to reprise their roles as Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and Jaskier respectively.
While this is obviously a truly excellent cast, there's still one bit of important casting news we're waiting on. It's understood that Geralt's mentor Vesemir will appear in season two, but we're still waiting to learn who's actually going to play him. Current rumours suggest that Mark Hamill, Michael Keaton, and Mads Mikkelsen have all been offered the role. All brilliant choices, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Featured Image Credit: NetflixTopics: The Witcher, CD Projekt Red