After becoming larger than life through his roles as Superman and in the latest Mission: Impossible, Henry Cavill adds to his epic résumé by taking on the small-screen role of Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s new fantasy seriesThe Witcher, based on the novels by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
The eight-book series centers around the story of “witchers,” or hunters with supernatural abilities that help them fight off deadly monsters, according to Deadline. The saga has already been turned into an incredibly popular video game franchise, and now Netflix is cashing in on the hype by bringing it to the small screen.
Cavill’s character is a monster hunter who “struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts,” per the show’s synopsis. “But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.”
The series will be written and run by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, who has previously worked on Power, The West Wing, and Netflix's Marvel collabs Daredevil and The Defenders. Four of the episodes will be helmed by Game of Thrones director Alik Sakharov, with Luke Cage director Alex Garcia Lopez and Outlander alum Charlotte Brändström also taking on a couple episodes each.
Cavill is already a huge fan of Sapkowski, who will be a creative consultant on the new show. “I’m thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories, staying true to the source material and the themes that I have spent over thirty years writing,” Sapkowski told Deadline. “I’m excited about our efforts together as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life.”
This also marks Cavill's return to television, after first making a household name for himself on the Showtime series The Tudors.
