Producers of hit series have long relied on spin-offs to advance their stories (and the ads and subscription fees are flowing). In his IP-obsessed era of the pop culture universe, the desire to preserve and ideally expand his popular television franchise only grows. And these days, moving forward often means looking back.
The biggest new series this year is the prequel, “Lord of the Rings: Ring of Power” When “Dragon House” It’s set long before ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Game of Thrones’. “Andor” is a prequel to the movie Rogue One, which became a prequel to other Star Wars movies.Added “Yellowstone” this month “1923” Another prequel to join last year “1883”
sunday is coming now “The Witcher: Blood Origin” A Netflix miniseries that takes place 1200 years ago Geralt of Rivia began killing spiteful creatures and thoughtfully pushing back his signature white mane in The Witcher, which premiered in 2019 and returns for a third season next summer.
Based on the story of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, the franchise is named after the monster hunter Geralt is most famous for. It’s set on a continent (conveniently named a continent) where witchers rub elbows with elves and dwarves, powerful mages, and power-hungry nobles.
A spin-off was probably inevitable for a title that conquered every platform. The streaming adaptation of ‘The Witcher’ follows versions of the popular game and comic, One of the most watched shows on Netflix ever.
For “Blood Origin” creator and showrunner Declan de Barra, the initial motivation was the opportunity to expand on the cues and allusions of Sapkowski’s book, including the introduction of new characters. Above all, it was a desire to focus on a continent that was ruled by elves.
“My favorite part of the book was identifying with the elf story,” de Barra, 51, said in a video call. “They were a species of post-colonized species, barely able to reproduce, found to be pre-agricultural, but with a myth that seems to be alluded to in the background. What happened before? What was their Rome before it fell?”
As writer and co-executive producer of “The Witcher,” de Barra explores what preceded Sphere Convergence, the cataclysm that allowed both humans and monsters to move from their worlds to continents. was beginning to map what he thought had happened. So, the creators of the original series Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, asked him to create a spin-off concept, and De Barra was ready. Story As his engine, he chose one of his oldest and most tested. A group of mismatched individuals must team up to save the world.
“I imagined a group of people who would hate each other if they showed up at a party and put them in a crucible together,” he said. “People who are all different and have reasons to get along with each other but have to work together.”
Since this is a “Witcher” franchise, some users are finding reasons to have sex with each other. And yes, “Blood Origin” has as jarringly modern profanity as the main show, with the goofy irreverence that sets the franchise apart. (Last year’s special, “The Witcher: Fireplace” It’s an hour long shot of crackling flames. )
“The great thing about Declan is that he’s very energetic and has a very loud and naughty sense of humor. He brings that to Blood Origins,” said Scheming Chief. Renee Henry, who plays Sage Ballor, said in a video chat. “So you get that low side after the emphasis on the Shakespearean aria from some character.”
Balor plays a key role in the world of Blood Origin, setting off a series of events that ripple through space and time. Among the most affected characters are Eile (Sophia Brown) and her Fjall (Lawrence Offline). These two warriors of hers will fight on the same side as part of the main superteam. (How super? Michelle Yeoh That’s the important part. )
In a way, Eir is a “witcher” in a nutshell. A fierce fighter who comments with songs and drives the action. After all, this is the rare fantasy series that spawned a cult hit. “Throw a coin at your witcher” From season 1. This is an integral part of Irish-born de Barra. He was once the frontman of a hard rock band and has also co-written several songs for both streaming ‘The Witcher’ properties.
“My favorite songs are the ones that end really short,” he said in the way he explains the decision to cut the prequel from the planned six episodes to four. and Ayle’s songs, including “The Black Rose”, a direct reference to 16th-century Irish songs. “Leucine Dove”
“I wanted her to write rebellion songs for people,” De Barra said. “Sapkowski himself does it in some of his places and people, such as the Skellige Islands, so I thought he would buy into Irish mythology as well as Eastern European mythology.
“He has potpourri of all sorts of European mythology, pulls together stories and bakes his own cake,” De Barra added. felt.”
Off-screen, Brown, who is black, has been at the center of various heated debates about race and how it relates to the source material that have arisen within other fantasy fandoms. (You may remember what the black elf figure looked like. “Ring of Power” It made some viewers dizzy.)
“Whenever something new comes into a space, people always think, ‘Oh, that’s not right,’” says Brown. “I struggled a bit when the casting was announced, but I was new to the industry and I worked hard to be here, so the realization that I was meant to be there. never wavered.”
Henry — also black, who played Hafut Saddock Burroughs In “The Rings of Power,” we chose to laugh at it all. “All you have to say to them is ‘you will believe’ upside down Where there are big strange creatures made of corned beef that frighten children, but you don’t believe the Black Elves?’ he said. can do.”
Anxiety about Eir’s role in the “Witcher” mythology is also related to what some fans decried as a dramatic departure from the original series’ books and video games.These complaints have since grown online Henry Cavillwho played Geralt and is an outspoken fan of Sapkowski’s story, announced with little explanation that he was leaving the show after the next season.
De Barra said that the “Witcher” story adapter “cannot satisfy everyone”, and that every avid fan of the book or game has their own unique and different perspective on what the characters and world should look like. I explained that I have an opinion. .
“Two people will never agree on it,” he said. I was able to do.”
The TV show consolidates and expands Sapkowski’s vision. This dual approach is especially noticeable in “Blood Origin.” As the title suggests, we’ll meet familiar characters and have plot developments that will later come to fruition in his series’ timeline. But de Barra cautions viewers not to draw too many conclusions.
For example, in one scene, a well-known prophet among “The Witcher” fans states that one of Eile’s descendants will be of great importance in the future, but the show does not know who it is. not shown.
“I can’t go into detail right now, but I will go into more detail later,” said de Barra. “Most people say…” he dragged on. “Anyway, I’ll leave it for now.”
Comments like that are baffling to someone new to the “Witcher” universe, but don’t worry. Several plot points are endlessly analyzed in the “Witcher” subreddit, but “Blood Origins” stands by itself. I hope you get into fantasy,” Brown said.
“When I was younger, I saw things that made me want to be an actor, to run away, to see the world in a different way.” I hope that you will be able to see the world in a different way.”