Netflix's Witcher spin-off movie may explore Geralt's backstory

The Witcher
(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix's adaptation of Andrezj Sapowski's Witcher universe shows no signs of slowing down.

The streaming giant currently has three Witcher projects in the works, including The Witcher season 2, and we're likely to hear more about this trio at the inaugural WitcherCon event in July.

For now, there's little in the way of new information surrounding The Witcher season 2 and live-action prequel series Blood Origin – but we have been given a brief tease about what Netflix's third Witcher production could be about.

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is an upcoming animated prequel movie that will focus on Geralt's Witcher mentor Vesemir. 

Given that the film will explore the latter's origin story, it's not unreasonable to think that we may see how Vesemir and Geralt cross paths – and Witcher creator, showrunner and executive producer Lauren Hissrich has seemingly teased the possibility of this happening.

Speaking during a Netflix Studio Focus panel at the Annecy Animation Festival (per Variety), Hissrich appeared to suggest that Geralt's backstory may be explored in some form as part of Vesemir's standalone story.

“There are things I wanted to know about," Hissrich said. "What it takes to become a witcher, how Geralt became a witcher, where his journey started and who was important to him. 

"When we meet Geralt in ‘The Witcher’ he is a full adult, he’s 100 years old and he’s been living on his own for a very long time. But you can’t help wondering how he learned the things he practices regularly and is going to teach Ciri [in The Witcher season 2].”

Analysis: Nightmare of the Wolf might tie into The Witcher season 2 more closely than we thought

We already knew that Nightmare of the Wolf would have some ties to The Witcher season 2, but it seems that the prequel movie and TV series will be linked more closely than we had previously thought.

Vesemir is already slated to appear in The Witcher season 2 (Kim Bodnia was cast as Geralt's mentor in February 2020) and, given that The Witcher universe is an interconnected one, it's obvious that Nightmare of the Wolf would tie into The Witcher season 2's upcoming events.

What's unclear, though, is what parts of Vesemir's backstory will be explored in detail in Netflix's prequel movie. Plot details are still scarce, but Hissrich's comments certainly give the impression that a younger Geralt could make an appearance.

If The Witcher season 2 will focus on Geralt being a father figure to Ciri, he'll need to have some idea of how to fulfil that role. He should have learned a thing or two from Vesemir then and, if the movie and TV show are as intrinsically linked as we suspect they are, we may see Vesemir teach Geralt about more than how to utilize his Witcher abilities in the correct way.

Of course, this is all speculation on our part, but it would be cool to see a young Geralt appear in Nightmare of the Wolf. It would be even better if Henry Cavill lends his voice to the character for the animated flick, too, as that would add another link between the two productions.

We'll have to wait for an official Nightmare of the Wolf plot synopsis (and trailer) to find out if any of our thoughts are correct. Based on Hissrich's quotes, though, we can't help but get a tad excited about Vesemir meeting a younger, less cynical Geralt in Nightmare of the Wolf.

Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

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