Liam leads 'The Witcher' refresh

Hemsworth takes over from Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in new season

LONDON:

Netflix fantasy series 'The Witcher' returns to screens after more than two years with a new lead actor and a fresh tone, its makers say.

Season four, which began streaming on Thursday, sees Australian actor Liam Hemsworth take over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill, who portrayed the monster hunter since the series began in 2019 and stepped down after 2023's third season.

The show, based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's books, follows Geralt as he hunts monsters across a fantasy realm known as the Continent. "It was definitely an interesting decision to make — it's a unique situation," Hemsworth said of taking on the role mid-series.

"It wasn't lost on me that there's a massive, passionate fan base that really cares about this character and this world. As a fan myself, I felt like I could bring something to it and wanted to do justice to this world."

Hemsworth said he approached the project with "a lot of ideas", hoping to inject some levity into Geralt's storyline. "I'm playing my interpretation of what I think will be beneficial to this world, this story and his journey," he told Reuters.

Creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said season four strikes a balance between the dry sense of humour Hemsworth brings and the show's "super dark moments". "It feels like a refresh for the show," she said. "Liam brings a new energy and everyone rose to meet that — including how the show looks, sounds, and moves."

In season four, Geralt, who was last seen separated from Princess Ciri and sorceress Yennefer, teams up with new travel companions and forms emotional connections.

Matrix actor Laurence Fishburne also joins the cast, playing vampire Regis. New to the fantasy genre, Fishburne said he was drawn by the diversity seen in earlier seasons. "The way they cast this world was very non-traditional. This world looks like the world we all live in," he said.

Season four was filmed alongside the fifth and final instalment. Together, they cover Sapkowski's three remaining novels — Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake.