Basil Eidenbenz has been roped in to play Eskel in The Witcher season 2; he serves a replacement for Thue Rasmussen, who was earlier tapped to play the part. The Witcher is a Polish-American Netflix fantasy drama based on the eponymous novel series by Andrzej Sapkowski. Set during the Middle Ages on a fictional landmass called The Continent, The Witcher chronicles the lives and interconnected destinies of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), Crown Princess Ciri (Freya Allan), and the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra). The first season of The Witcher premiered in Dec. 2019 and season 2 is poised to arrive in 2021. The upcoming season will include several new characters from Sapkowski's books.
Earlier, in February 2020, it was revealed that The Witcher had cast Grow actor Thue Ersted Rasmussen to play Eskel in its forthcoming season 2. Rasmussen even filmed some scenes for the action-adventure drama series in late February and early March, but the production was soon shut down due to the escalating Covid-19 outbreak. Subsequently, in wake of the pandemic, Rasmussen's other projects were rescheduled, prompting the actor to quit The Witcher in order to avoid calendar conflicts. Rasmussen announced his exit in an Instagram post last week. He stated that while the decision is "heartbreaking", he is grateful for the days he "got to spend [on the sets] earlier this year." Rasmussen's role has since been recast, and now a new actor will play Eskel in The Witcher season 2.
As confirmed by Deadline on Saturday, The Witcher has recast the upcoming role of Eskel with Swiss actor Basil Eidenbenz. Eidenbenz, 27, is credited for his stints in the British historical drama Victoria, the Sky TV coming-of-age series The Athena, and the biographical film Denial. He also appeared in The Favourite starring Olivia Colman and Emma Stone. Eidenbenz's Eskel is a childhood friend of Geralt, who was mentored by Vesemir at Kaer Morhen. Now a witcher of the School of the Wolf, Eskel is a fierce-yet-merciful fighter who helps train princess Ciri despite his initial reservations. Eskel has appeared in all major Witcher video games, and now Eidenbenz will embody him for the first time in the TV series.
Earlier, Eidenbenz's name had floated as a potential replacement for Rasmussen. At that time, he was contending against King Arthur: Legend of the Sword actor Craig McGinlay, who was the more obvious choice for the role given his bulkier physique and suitable age. But as it has now been confirmed, Eidenbenz has landed the role of Eskel, defeating his competitor in the race to join the wildly popular Netflix show. Eidenbenz, however, is not the only new cast member in The Witcher season 2. As it's been previously reported, Kristofer Hivju, Yasen Atour, Agnes Bjorn, Paul Bullion, Aisha Fabienne Ross, Mecia Simson, and Kim Bodnia will also join the forthcoming show in pivotal roles.
Eidenbenz is appreciably younger than the part he has been cast to play. But his reliable catalog of acting credits makes him credible for the part. Eidenbenz also brings an undeniable charisma and a youthful charm to the table, hence, he is bound to appeal to The Witcher's younger audiences. It has also been reported that Eidenbenz began shooting for The Witcher when it resumed filming in August. This means that the recasting hasn't caused production delays, and the show is still on track for its targeted 2021 release date. While Thue Rasmussen's departure from the series is undoubtedly heartbreaking, Eidenbenz quite fittingly fills into his shoes. And it seems that he will not disappoint fans with his portrayal of the fan-favorite warrior Eskel.
Source: Deadline