Fantasy Netflix's The Witcher - General Discussion Thread

[TheVileOne]

Nikolaj is perfect for the role, but I doubt he'd want to sign up for another large sword and sorcery show.

I like Waldau, but he's 47 and can't play all the dark fantasy antiheroes.

McGowan is 36 and I think in a good age sweet spot to portray Geralt.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

I think mid to late forties is still a pretty good age for Geralt, he's certainly not a young man, nor does he look young, Waldau still has quite a few years left before his age would be any issue. McGowan and Waldau would both be fantastic choices though. As always though I don't want to get to attached to any particular fan casting, they almost never get chosen.

 

[TheVileOne]

I think mid to late forties is still a pretty good age for Geralt, he's certainly not a young man, nor does he look young, Waldau still has quite a few years left before his age would be any issue. McGowan and Waldau would both be fantastic choices though. As always though I don't want to get to attached to any particular fan casting, they almost never get chosen.

Actually, mid-30s is about where he looks considering his mutations slow his aging and allow him to live longer.

IMHO Waldau simply isn't a realistic choice because of Game of Thrones. McGowan is an underrated talent and already has the look and physicality and even the right voice for Geralt. You wouldn't need to give him a ton of makeup to look convincing.

 

[Marvolo]

Geralt needs to be played by a man in his 40s. That's how old he looks in Witcher 3. Even with the mutations, Geralt has lived a hard life and he carries the scars and physical and emotional wear and tear. It shows in his face and the way he carries himself. AFAIK, he is around 100 at the start of Witcher 1. Possibly older. And he has a "too old for this ****" attitude from time to time. In the books he's slowing down some and isn't recovering as well as he used to.

A mid to late 40s actor like Nikolaj is perfect for the role. A younger actor will just be too fresh faced unless they grizzle him up, but if they are going to do that they might as well cast an actor in their 40s.

 

[TheVileOne]

Geralt needs to be played by a man in his 40s. That's how old he looks in Witcher 3. Even with the mutations, Geralt has lived a hard life and he carries the scars and physical and emotional wear and tear. It shows in his face and the way he carries himself. A mid to late 40s actor like Nikolaj is perfect for the role. A younger actor will just be too fresh faced unless they grizzle him up, but if they are going to do that they might as well cast an actor in their 40s.

I don't think he needs to be played by a man in his 40s at all. I think McGowan is a good choice because he's not a fresh faced pretty boy and he at least can play gruff and rough convincingly. I'm just saying, McGowan can do the grizzled thing, and he's not pushing 50.

He speaks and talks acts as a man who is actually much older than 50 probably because he is probably closer to about 90-ish when we meet him in the timeline. Yennefer is in her late 90s and older than Geralt. But even though Yennefer is biologically "old" her powers as a sorceress help her maintain a youthful appearance.

I like Waldau and all on Game of Thrones, but it just seems like it's fan-casting him because he plays a shades of grey antihero on Game of Thrones. Will he even want to play a character like Geralt fresh off of Game of Thrones?

 

[Punisher_MAX]

My main casting choices would be:

Geralt- Zach McGowan
Yennefer- Kate Beckinsale/Eva Green
Dandelion- Zachary Levi
Triss- Jane Levy
Vesemir- Mads Mikkelson
Zoltan- Gerard Butler
Eredin- Lee Pace

I don't know any younger actresses for Ciri so I'll leave that one blank.

If you want to add in Lambert and Eskel you can add Ben Barnes and Jensen Ackles respectively

 

[TheVileOne]

Punisher_MAX, agree 100% with you on Eva Green or someone like an Eva Green as Yennefer. I'd say there's a good chance she's on 90% of every Witcher fan's short list to play Yennefer.

Levi's actually an interesting idea for Dandelion. It probably won't be him, but someone of that type I think can make that role work. David Tennant would also be someone I can see as Dandelion depending on his schedule.

I also like the idea of Jane Levy as Triss.

As far as Zoltan, doubt it would be someone like Butler if he even appears in the show.

Madds Mikkelsen as Vesemir is another good one. I also like Peter Stormare in him playing a non-villain for once. Or heck, even Timothy Dalton. He was awesome on Penny Dreadful.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

I mean if Zac Efron wants a TV series to star in I can see him as Dandelion as well. Richard Armitage for Zoltan also works and id love to see Peter Stormare in a show haha great character actor.

 

[TheVileOne]

If Richard Armitage were to work on the show, he'd be my choice for Foltest. He'd basically be The Witcher's version of Eddard Stark ...kinda...sorta...or a mash-up of Eddard and Jamie. He'd probably make a good Foltest or Duny/Emhyr depending on how they want to go with it.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

Fair point. Charles Dance voiced Emhyr so why not go all in with that?

I'll admit that my knowledge of The Witcher is all based on the 3rd game. Kinda bummed I never played the first two and I'm looking to read the books soon.

 

[TheVileOne]

I loved Charles Dance as Emhyr, but that was the game and this is the TV show. I mean clearly the game in its visual style will inform the show to some degree, but they are making the show based on the books rather than the games. Andrezj Sapkowski is involved and will probably have approval over some of the casting, and he's not a big fan of the games.

Plus the character in the game wasn't visually modeled after Charles Dance either. He looks very different, and Emhyr is probably younger, probably more like early-to-mid 50s. He could be 40s even depending on where events will pick up.

My thought process with what we have to go on is try to think more like the book than how the games did things.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

So how different are the books from the games? Anything really noteworthy? What did the books better and what did the games do better?

I am looking forward to reading the books. Coincidentally my good friend has all the books and she just started playing The Witcher and so far loves it.

 

[Fincher]

For now, I'll say Katie Leclerc for Triss.

 

[TheVileOne]

So how different are the books from the games? Anything really noteworthy? What did the books better and what did the games do better?

I am looking forward to reading the books. Coincidentally my good friend has all the books and she just started playing The Witcher and so far loves it.

The best way to describe the games is that they are like a fan fiction continuation of the final sequential story in the book series. Or unofficial sequels not written by the original author.

The games IMHO take some artistic license with a few things like the witcher armor sets, how he uses the magic signs in combat, and the various monster types. In the books, the monsters are in short supply and basically dying out. In the games, they are varied and rather plentiful.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

The best way to describe the games is that they are like a fan fiction continuation of the final sequential story in the book series. Or unofficial sequels not written by the original author.

The games IMHO take some artistic license with a few things like the witcher armor sets, how he uses the magic signs in combat, and the various monster types. In the books, the monsters are in short supply and basically dying out. In the games, they are varied and rather plentiful.

Gotcha. I hope that the series becomes a fusion of both the books and games then because the world of the Witcher 3 is absolutely amazing.

 

[Roose Bolton]

I'd sooner watch Armitage as Geralt.

 

[Iceman]

The Witcher looks old enough to be the dad of most of my friends who are turning 40. He looks great for someone who is supposed to be old but people in their 30s look young these days.

 

[Iceman]

Actually, mid-30s is about where he looks considering his mutations slow his aging and allow him to live longer.

You don’t need to consider factors like that when you’re judging how old someone LOOKS. Those things only come into consideration when you want to know how old they actually are rather than how old they look.

 

[TheVileOne]

Richard Armitage wouldn't be the worst choice as a candidate for Geralt. But if they can find a solid lesser known name for the role, that could also work, ie Andy Whitfield for Spartacus, who was fantastic.

 

[Reek]

The dead one?

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Andy Whitfield is indeed dead.

 

[Iceman]

Nikolaj is perfect for the role, but I doubt he'd want to sign up for another large sword and sorcery show.

That is a great photoshop or whatever was used to put those images together. He looks really good there although I'd like to see a made up shot of his whole face too.

 

[TheVileOne]

Andy Whitfield is indeed dead.

It's an example of how casting an unknown for that type of show can pay off in a good way. I know Andy Whitfield has passed on, but he was fantastic on Spartacus. That was his first major role.

 

[Smegger56]

This is my guy. Zach McGowan.

 

[TheVileOne]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXoDq6BBoRH/

Zach McGowan definitely seems like he's up for it at least. Not sure if he will be considered by Netflix, Sapkowski, and the staff though.