According to Deadline, Queen & Slim actress Jodie Turner-Smith has officially exited her leading role in Netflix’s upcoming prequel limited series The Witcher: Blood Origin. Her withdrawal from the project was due to scheduling conflicts caused by a slight change in the production schedule. Turner-Smith was originally set for the role of Éile, who is being described as an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess.
“Due to a change in the production schedule for ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ limited series, unfortunately Jodie Turner-Smith will no longer be able to continue on in the role of Éile,” a Netflix representative said in a statement.
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Set in an elven world 1,200 years before events of the main series, The Witcher: Blood Origin tells the story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.
The six-part limited series will be led by Éile, who has left her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption.
It will also star Vikings alum Laurence O’Fuarain who has been cast for the role of Fjall, a character who comes from a clan of warriors sworn to protect a King. He carries a deep scar within caused by the death of a loved one who fell in battle trying to save him. A scar that won’t let him settle, or make peace with himself or the world around him. In his quest for redemption, Fjall will find himself fighting beside the most unlikely of allies as he carves a path of vengeance across a continent in turmoil.
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The Witcher: Blood Origin will be executive produced by Declan de Barra, who also serves as the showrunner. The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich will also executive produce along with Hivemind’s Jason Brown and Sean Daniel, and Platige Films’ Tomek Baginski and Jarek Sawko. Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski will serve as a creative consultant on the series.
