Later this month, Netflix will premiere the fourth season of its monster-hunting fantasy show The Witcher. This season marks a huge shift for the show, with actor Liam Hemsworth taking over for Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. There's a lot riding on the fourth season of the show, and we won't have to wait long to see how it all blows over.
But in the meantime, you don't have to wait for Netflix to invite you back to the Continent. On September 30, The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski released a new book in the series, Crossroads of Ravens. Set during Geralt's early days as a witcher, this book details his very first adventures after leaving the stronghold of Kaer Morhen. The book is fantastic, and well worth a read if you're a fan of the series. Read our spoiler-free review here.
Sapkowski famously doesn't opine much on the Netflix show, but during an asynchronous Reddit AMA timed to the book's release, he did muse about his dreamcast for a couple of characters. And his pick for Yennefer has me salty at Netflix all over again for missing out on what have been a perfect casting and complement to Cavill's Geralt.
Eva Green would have made a perfect Yennefer in The Witcher show
During the AMA, Sapkowski was asked about dreamcasts for Yennefer and Ciri. "As Yennefer? Perhaps Eva Green?" he answered. "As Ciri? Perhaps Natalie Portman — but the 'early' one. In summary, the cast seems rather impossible. In other words: wishful thinking."
Eva Green is a veteran actor, best known for turns in movies like Casino Royale, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and The Golden Compass, where she played the witch Serafina Pekkala. She also starred in Penny Dreadful as lead character Vanessa Ives. Suffice to say, Green has a penchant for playing powerful women who often have dark secrets of some kind. Her vibe is a great fit for Yennefer; I can so easily imagine her playing the part.
In the Netflix show, Yennefer is played by Anya Chalotra. Chalotra does a good job with the material when it affords her the opportunity, but to me she's always been just slightly off for the part. This is no fault of Chalotra's. Rather, I think Netflix leaned into making Yen seem younger, because sorceresses are supposed to look younger than their age, and accidentally threw off the balance between Yennefer and Geralt that exists in the books, where they are portrayed as equals in basically every way.
To date, the definitive Yennefer performance for many fans remains Denise Gough in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt video game. She's very close to the way Sapkowski describes Yen in the books, in terms of looks, attitude, and overall demeanor.
As for young Natalie Portman as Ciri, this is actually an instance where I think Netflix's casting is better. Whatever grips fans may have about The Witcher show, I don't think I've ever heard someone bemoan Freya Allan's casting as Cirilla of Cintra. She absolutely crushes the role, and given the source material for season 4 and 5, her best performances are almost certainly still to come.
Sapkowski was also asked if there were any artistic interpretations of his characters that were close to how he envisioned them. Once again, he singles out a few of Yen. "Naturally, there are illustrations that I personally find quite close - if not to my own imagination of a character, then perhaps to my taste," he said. I've encountered many online, and quite a few have appeared on the covers of my books. Despite their abundance, I can't recall any specific examples from memory - nothing comes to mind. Perhaps with two exceptions: Yennefer as depicted on the cover of the Spanish edition of Sword of Destiny (La espadadel destino) by Alejandro Colucci. And Yennefer on the French hardcover edition (L'Epée de la providence) by Mikaël Bourgouin.
Looking at those images, I can once again picture Eva Green rocking those exact looks in a live-action Witcher show. It's going to be a while before I get over this.
The Witcher author discusses inspirations for Yennefer of Vengerberg
The striking look for Yennefer makes sense when you hear some of Sapkowski's inspirations for the character. This was another topic he expanded upon in the Reddit AMA, with some predictable answers as well as a few surprising ones.
"There were many, too many for me to recall all of them now. So, I'll only mention those I remember, each contributing in some part to the compilation of Yennefer's character. Some shall surely surprise you. So, let's go: Homer's Circe, Morrigan from Irish mythology, Norse Freya. Queen Guinevere (Gwenhwyfar, the name) and the enchantress Nimue, both from Arthurian legend. La Belle Dame Sans Merci from John Keats' poem, H. Rider Haggard's Ayesha. And Catherine de Vauselles from François Villon's Le Grand Testament."
The most surprising name on that list to me is Nimue, because — SPOILER ALERT FOR THE WITCHER SEASON 4 — Nimue is an actual character in The Witcher already. Sapkowski introduces this woman from Arthurian legend late in the book series, as part of a meta plotline that turns the saga into a multiversal affair. It's interesting to hear him point to Nimue as an inspiration for Yen, as well. There must be something about her that has burrowed deep into the author's imagination.
The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens is out now from Orbit, wherever books are sold. The Witcher season 4 premieres October 30 on Netflix.