The Witcher: Blood Origin has reportedly suffered a major overhaul as Netflix cut down the series from six to four episodes. According to the site Redanian Intelligence, the prequel to The Witcher also went through reshoots that included more Jaskier (Joey Batey) in the series.
First announced in 2020, The Witcher: Blood Origin went into production last year, having wrapped filming by July 2021. There were six episodes shot at the time. The cast returned to set for reshoots last April, a usual procedure in TV making, especially in big-budget productions. After the post-production process reveals flaws or needs not anticipated in the initial shooting, there are always tweaks to make, leading to reshoots. However, as it is now revealed, the reshoots were actually part of a significant overhaul that cut the series from six to four episodes.
While it is unknown how much of the original plan got altered in the editing room, the current structure credits Episode 1’s direction to showrunner Declan de Barra, Episode 2 to Alex Meenehan and Aaron Stewart-Ahn, Episode 3 to Tania Lotia and Kiersten Van Horne, and Episode 4 to de Barra and Tasha Huo. By the looks of it, the first and last episode of Blood Origins remains close to the original plan, while the middle of the season was merged, leading to the directing credits also being combined.
Set 1200 years before The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell the story of the Conjunction of Spheres, the event that led to the overlapping of the dimensions of elves, dwarves, humans, and monsters. The only direct link between the two productions is Jaskier, the bard who frequently travels alongside Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill). Blood Origins reportedly start with Jaskier trying to tell the story of the Conjunction of Spheres before being interrupted by an elf who claims to know what really happened.
The new report indicates that Batey had to film many additional scenes during Blood Origin reshoots. So, the overhaul could mean that the creative team is trying to better connect the events of the prequel to the main series. For example, with more Jaskier, Blood Origin might introduce small present-time intros to each episode, helping fans understand how the prequel explains the current state of The Witcher’s universe.
Blood Origin's cast of characters includes Éile (Sophia Brown), a warrior that abandons her clan and her post as the queen’s protector to wander the world as a singer; Fjall (Laurence O’Fuarain), a warrior who joins Éile in her quest; and Scian (Michelle Yeoh), an elf who's in search of a stolen sacred sword. It’s still unknown how all these characters will get together and how their personal stories will relate to the Conjunction of Spheres.
The Witcher: Blood Origin will debut exclusively on Netflix sometime in 2022. Check out the series trailer and synopsis below:
Every story has a beginning. Witness the untold history of the Continent with The Witcher: Blood Origin, a new prequel series set in an elven world 1200 years before the events of The Witcher. Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time - exploring the creation of the first prototype 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.