By Netflix’s upcoming fantasy series, The Witcher, is slated for release in just over a week and series star Henry Cavill is now on a world-wide promotion spree. In the event of CCXP in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Cavill made a surprise appearance alongside showrunner Lauren Hissrich. There, Cavill held an interview with Omelete, where he was asked about his favorite short story, and whether he chose Triss or Yennefer while playing CD Projekt RED’s The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. Watch the video on YouTube, or scroll down for the transcription.
“My first introduction to The Witcher was the games,” said Cavill, when asked how he was introduced to the franchise. “So I had that image in my head, but [Witcher author] Andrzej Sapkowski‘s writing paints a far more detailed picture and it took me on a different journey all together. And because I knew of the show’s existence while I was reading the books, I could then picture how I was going to perform everything and how things are going to be different, and what I could tie to my initial experience [with the games] and then tie it to the books as well… And so it was an interesting read for me, because the writing itself is fantastic, I went on an incredible emotional journey throughout, but also I got to kind of live it like I was going to play it as well, which was a lot of fun for me.”
When asked of his favorite short story in the novels, Cavill quickly mentioned A Shard of Ice. “I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone who’s reading the books, but [that’s the story] where Geralt and Yennefer are seemingly happy. Seemingly happy. That one really tore a hole in my heart.”
Cavill also told of his meeting with author Andrzej Sapkowski on set of the show. “I met him very briefly on set one day, I was doing a big stunt, I think it was a fifteen-to-twenty foot fall through a floor and I was focused on that. The first thing he said to me was: ‘I didn’t write this! This wasn’t me, it’s not my fault!’ And then I had to rush off and do the stunts and by the time I was finished he was off doing a studio tour, so hopefully, I pray that he likes my representation of Geralt. It’s very important to me that I did his work justice, because that is where my heart lies.”
Towards the end of the interview, Cavill was asked a question about the games: Triss or Yennefer. “Speaking as myself? Hmm. As a fan of The Witcher. Well, I can only speak for the games, because that was my first introduction to the question and I think I, when I was playing the game… This is a good way of actually avoiding any ownership of this [laughs]. When I was playing the games, I chose Yennefer.”
Henry then explained his (very smart) choice. “It’s just that there was love there. And it’s the way the games went. The story with Triss was powerful and something different, but… the story with Yennefer is where Geralt’s heart lay, I believe.”
Cavill, Hissrich and Ciri and Yennefer stars Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra are still touring around the world as we speak. The former two have landed in Manila, the Philippines while the show’s female stars will be presenting a premiere in Madrid, as well as hosting a panel at Heroes Comic Con (also in Madrid). Following that, the show’s stars will regroup in London for another preimiere on December 16, and a final one in The Witcher‘s homeland of Poland on December 18 (just two days before the show launches on Netflix, worldwide).
Meanwhile, Netflix has unveiled three featurettes focusing on each of the show’s main characters. Go watch them here. It’s unlikely that you’ve forgotten, but just in case: The Witcher releases on December 20.
He knows whats best for him and Geralt, love it.
Smart and beautiful man, his answers are fantastic and he is phenomenal as Geralt! (And he knows what Geralt would choose 😘) I hope he’ll become an executive producer for the show eventually. He knows and he loves this world so much and he did a lot of the bts work for s1 anyway.