Netflix confirms new cast members for The Witcher season 2

The Witcher is a hit on Netflix, and showrunner Lauren Hissrich and her team are busy filming a new season as we speak. Of course, the principles are coming back: Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Freya Allan as Princess Cirilla. Now, Netflix has confirmed what new actors are coming aboard for season 2, and who they’ll be playing.

We’ve been reporting on new additions to The Witcher for a while, but it’s good to have everything spelled out officially. Check out the list:

Okay, let’s do a quick rundown:

• Yasen Atour, Paul Bullion and Thue Ersted Rasmussen are playing Coen, Lambert and Eskel respectively, all of them witchers and colleagues of Geralt. The second season will follow the events of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s book Blood of Elves, which involves Geralt taking Ciri to Kaer Morhen, the witchers’ keep, and training her as an apprentice. Coen, Lambert and Eskel will help bring her up to speed. Clearly, Bullion has the swordplay stuff down:

• As we’d heard, Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju will be playing Nivellen, a man cursed to live as a beast. He’s drawn from the short story “A Grain of Truth” from The Last Wish. Apparently he’ll appear early in the season.

Image: Game of Thrones/HBO

• Joining Hivju in that story will Agnes Born as Vereena. Without giving too much away, “A Grain of Truth” is basically Sapkowski’s twist on Beauty and the Beast, with Nivellen and Vereena as the two principles. But which is which?
• Aisha Fabienne Ross is playing Lydia, the personal assistant of of the sorcerer Vilgefortz, who we met in season 1, where he was played by Mahesh Jadu. We also know that Vilgefortz is coming back, which makes sense since he has a big role going forward in the books.
• Mecia Simson is playing Francesca, an Elven sorceress described as “the most beautiful woman in the world.” She’s a major player in the books so we’re not surprised to see her on the list.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: Model Mecia Simone Simson attends the Fit For A Princess Exhibition at Browns Hotel on August 27, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

But this list doesn’t tell us everything. We’ve also heard that British actor Carmel Laniado will be joining the cast as a new character named Violet, “a young girl whose playful and whimsical demeanor is a front for a smarter and more sadistic character.” There are also strong indications that Netflix is casting Sigismund Dijkstra, the spymaster for King Vizimir II of Redania.

Finally, we can all but guarantee that Vesemir, Geralt’s mentor in the ways of the witcher, will be part of the second season. Geralt even mentioned him at the end of the first, and if the other witchers are around, he’s got to be. I’m wondering if Netflix is holding back on that announcement because they’re trying to get a big-name actor to fill the role.

What’s more, The Wrap has information on what actors will be returning to their roles, in addition to the ones we already mentioned:

• MyAnna Buring as Tissaia, Yennefer’s sorceress mentor
• Tom Canton as the elven leader Filavandrel
• Lilly Cooper as Murta
• Jeremy Crawford as the dwarf Yarpin Zigrin
• Eamon Farren as the villainous Cahir
• Terence Maynard as Artorius
• Lars Mikkelson as the sorcerer Stregobor
• Mimi Ndiweni as the sorceress Fringilla Vigo, who’s now in league with Nilfgaard
• Royce Pierrseson as the sorcerer Istredd, Yennfer’s sometimes lover
• Wilson Radjou-Pujalte as Dara, Ciri’s elf friend
• Anna Shaffer as the sorceress Triss Merigold
• Therica Wilson Read as the sorceress Sabrina

And yes, of course Joey Batey is coming back as the bard Jaskier. Who else would tell us to toss coins to our witchers?

The Wrap also has info on who will be directing the eight new episodes:

• Episodes 1 and 2: Stephen Surjik (The Umbrella Academy)
• Episode 3 and 4: Sarah O’Gorman (Cursed)
• Episodes 5 and 8: Ed Bazalgette (The Last Kingdom)
• Episodes 6 and 7: Geeta Patel (Meet The Patels)

I’m a little upset we won’t get more episodes, but that’s still a solid lineup.

So everything is looking pretty good. If there’s one omission that jumps out at me, it’s that we’ve heard no mention of Netflix looking for anyone to play the character of Philippa Eilhart, a powerful sorceress from the books and a pretty major presence. It’s possible that they could be holding off on casting her until a later season, or that they are casting her but not talking about it. It’s also possible — and I think this is more likely — that the team is planning to cut Philippa altogether and have Tissaia de Vries take on her role.

But we can’t be sure yet. We’ll know more when The Witcher season 2 premieres in 2021!

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