We’ve got just two weeks until we finally get to watch The Witcher in all its glory, yet we still don’t know quite what to expect.
Will it be the next Game of Thrones, or will it be even better? Will The Witcher stray from the books it’s based on, or will it stay true to them? And finally, will Henry Cavill live up to all of the hype or not?
Hopefully yes, if a recent clip of the show is anything to go by. The never-before-seen footage shows the actor in character as Geralt of Rivia, caught up in a somewhat dramatic fight scene.
You can watch the fight scene in all its glory below:
The footage was shared on the latest episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as the presenter interviewed Cavill about his upcoming role in the Netflix series.
According to IGN, the fight scene appears to feature Queen Calanthe, the grandmother of Ciri, as she throws a banquet to determine a suitor for 15-year-old Pavetta, Ciri’s mother.
Fans of the books will recognise another character in the scene – the person with a hedgehog’s head – who is a key player in Witcher lore. And if this scene’s anything to go by, it looks like the character won’t be shying away from any of the action.
The relatively tame clip is only short – 24 seconds to be precise – leading many social media users to believe the final product will be more gruesome, bloody and graphic. Here’s hoping, anyway.
Based upon a series of stories by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, the series follows monster slayer Geralt of Rivia on his adventures, while the upcoming TV show is just one adaptation of the novels.
The IMDb description for The Witcher reads:
Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
While Cavill stars as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra will play sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Freya Allan will star as powerful young princess Ciri.
The first-look fight scene comes just days after critics – who had the chance to preview the first season before everybody else – claimed the show made Game of Thrones‘ fight scenes look ‘awful’.
Although full reviews of the show are embargoed until its release on December 20, some critics took to social media to share their initial reactions – without spoiling it, of course.
Among the reviews were a multitude of people saying they were ‘blown away’ by the show’s awe-inspiring choreography, with one person saying it was ‘some of the best I can recall for a sword and sorcery/fantasy series of this type in years’.
Basically, we’re in for a treat, and as Netflix is releasing all eight episodes five days before Christmas, it’s the perfect present you can gift yourself.
Merry Christmas!
The first season of The Witcher will be available to watch on Netflix from December 20.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).