Netflix debuts the first teaser trailer for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, an anime spin-off film from the Henry Cavill-led fantasy series. The fantasy franchise is based on a series of novels and short stories from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and centers on Geralt of Rivia, one of the last of the titular group of beast hunters who develop supernatural abilities at a young age to battle wild beasts and monsters. The Witcher property first gained steam in the U.S. with the trilogy of video games from Polish developer and publisher CD Projekt Red, which has sold over 50 million copies as of May 2020.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf was announced in early 2020 as one of two spin-off projects in development for the mothership hit series. The anime film will explore the origin story of Geralt's mentor Vesemir as a swashbuckling young witcher who escapes a life of poverty to slay monsters for coin. However, when a strange new monster begins terrorizing a politically-fraught kingdom, he finds himself on a frightening adventure that forces him to confront the demons of his past.
Nearly two weeks after the conclusion of WitcherCon, Netflix has unveiled the first teaser trailer for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Shifting focus away from Geralt, the anime film will put the spotlight on fan-favorite Witcher, Vesemir, and his origin story, with the video offering a glimpse at his cockier behavior and fighting skills. Check out the exciting teaser below:
Click here to watch the teaser trailer
Having kept many details under wraps about the project, the first teaser for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf comes at an exciting time for fans of the franchise. In addition to finally getting a glimpse at the origin story for Geralt's mentor, Netflix has revealed the cast for the film to be led by Castlevania alum Theo James as Vesemir, Da Vinci's Demons' Lara Pulver as Tetra, Outlander's Graham McTavish as Deglan and Major Crimes' Mary McDonnell as Lady Zerbst. Though some may be a bit confused at the decision to cast James as Vesemir over Kim Bodnia, who is set to appear as the character in The Witcher season 2, this actually works as a nice tie-in for the series as James delivered a vocal cameo for the role in the season 1 finale, "Much More."
Aside from the ensemble cast, the first teaser for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf offers a nice look at the gorgeous anime-style visuals on display in the film. Korean animation studio Studio Mir has delivered plenty of exciting work since launching a decade ago between The Legend of Korra to Netflix's own Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. Though some may be eager to see Cavill's Geralt return to the screen in December, fans can at least look forward to The Witcher franchise's return when the film hits Netflix on August 23.
Source: Netflix