The Witcher has had a fairytale rise to popularity, dominating books, video games and now television. The latter will soon be bolstered by a Netflix anime titled The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Featuring the mentor of silver-haired series protagonist Geralt, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf will tie into the story of the live-action TV series.
Though it's coming out later this year, there's still quite a bit that hasn't been revealed about the upcoming film. Here's what we know so far about Nightmare of the Wolf, namely what was gleaned from the recent WitcherCon.
The Plot of Nightmare of the Wolf
The movie is an animated prequel to Netflix's live-action The Witcher show, taking place long before Geralt's adventures. It stars Vesemir, who would later become Geralt's mentor, as he faces a dastardly threat growing within the continent. Also present in the series is a character named Delgan, whose ties to Vesemir involve the Law of Surprise. Amidst his slaying monsters for a very fine price, Vesemir will also have to confront his own past.
The film's events and Vesemir's relationship with those around him will also cast more light on Geralt's later relationship with Ciri, as explained by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, the showrunner for the main series. In order to keep things fresh and not simply coast off of the success of the first season, writer Beau DeMayo states that it "is gonna give fans that are familiar with the series a totally unique experience that I hope makes them feel like they’re coming to The Witcher for the first time again.”
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Trailer
The recently released trailer offers a look at the project's animation, which is on par with other Netflix original "anime" shows. The trailer focuses on establishing the spooky, macabre tone of the series, with monsters such as an eponymous werewolf and a decayed-looking demon being shown.
Vesemir is also seen, and though he doesn't speak, his age and youthful appearance let fans know that this is indeed long before Geralt ever came on the scene. He's shown relatively briefly in the short clip, readying his sword to prepare for battle with one of his supernatural foes.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf - News to Know
The film was first announced early last year after the initial success of the TV show. The animation studio behind the movie is Studio Mir, a South Korean studio whose repertoire includes several notable projects. Besides other Netflix productions such as Voltron: Legendary Defender and Dota: Dragon's Blood, they also animated The Legend of Korra, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge and the animated DC film The Death of Superman.
This makes Nightmare of the Wolf the third Studio Mir project for Netflix, and as mentioned, it's being crafted by the same production and writing team that handles the live-action series. Likewise, the director is Kwang Han, who had previously worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra and The Boondocks. So far, Vesemir is the only confirmed character, with his voice actor Kim Bodnia also being the only confirmed cast member.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Release Date
Though some of the other cast members are still unknown at the moment, the animated movie is only roughly around a month away from premiering on Netflix. Its trailer reveal also brought the announcement that The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf will debut on the streaming service on August 23. Even though fans still have a few more weeks until then, Netflix will have them tossing a coin to its Witcher fairly soon.
