With the recent virtual WitcherCon event, fans of The Witcher got to find out more about the upcoming prequel series, The Witcher: Blood Origin. Now, the series creator reveals how the concept was developed.
Taking to Twitter, Declan de Barra, who also spoke at WitcherCon, explained to viewers just how he came up with the idea for Blood Origin. And, unlike what many fans thought, it was apparently not a slow process.
The Witcher: Blood Origin concept came via a dream
According to the Netflix synopsis, Blood Origin is a prequel series that will delve into events that occurred more than 1,000 years prior to what viewers saw in Season 1 of The Witcher.
“Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the origin of the very first Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal ‘conjunction of the spheres’, when the worlds of monsters, men and elves merged to become one.”
This synopsis would lead one to think that plenty of research into the original source material was required in order to come up with the premise, and it might have but, according to de Barra, the concept for The Witcher: Blood Origin arrived via a dream.
“A story that came to me in a dream in November 2019 & was scribbled down on a napkin a few days later (really),” de Barra wrote in the tweet.
Production begins on The Witcher: Blood Origin
Along with the revelation of how de Barra came up with the concept for Blood Origin, he also announced that production would begin shortly.
“Tomorrow we roll camera on the very first day of #TheWitcherBloodOrigin,” he stated.
Previously, it had been predicted that filming would begin on the TV series in July, so production has only just scraped in regarding this rumor.
The Witcher’s showrunner, Lauren S. Hissrich, was quick to comment on de Barra’s tweet and offered her own memories of the new series.
“I have our very first texts about this prequel, the very origin of Blood Origin. So proud of @declandebarra, all of #TheWitcher alums, and especially the brand new talented souls who are bringing this world to life,” Hissrich stated.
Previously, there have been several cast announcements regarding The Witcher: Blood Origin. Laurence O’Fuarain will portray Fjall, who was “born into a clan of warriors sworn to protect a King.” Joining him will be Michelle Yeoh as the sword-elf called Scian.
Jodie Turner-Smith was initially cast as Éile, “an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, who has left her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician.” However, scheduling conflicts led to her having to drop out and she was recently replaced by Sophia Brown.
As yet, no official premiere date has been set by Netflix for The Witcher: Blood Origin.