“Even though it’s intrinsically linked to The Witcher, I think it stands alone too”: Lizzie Annis and Zach Wyatt on The Witcher: Blood Origin

New four-part spin-off series The Witcher: Blood Origin aims to deliver a backstory to the ancient civilisation. Set over a thousand years ago, before the events of The Witcher, seven Elven outcasts set out on a quest to overthrow a powerful empire, bringing to their story the creation of the first-ever prototype Witcher and unfolding the events leading up to the Conjuncture of the Spheres.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of hearing from stars Lizzie Annis and Zach Wyatt as they told us about joining the production and being a part of this global phenomenon.

Was The Witcher world already familiar to you – the literary sources, the series, the games? 

Zach Wyatt: The Witcher world I had known about through the TV series, so the literary source, the games, they were all a new experience after getting the audition through. I’m not a big gamer myself, so it wasn’t on my radar to understand what that world was, but I hear it’s absolutely incredible. 

Lizzie Annis: I had a similar experience to Zach: my first experience of The Witcher world was through my audition. We were talking about how the material our showrunner Declan sent to us was so evocative, exciting and rich, and allowed us to dive into The Witcher world. This ever-expanding, ever-evolving universe is really exciting.

This is a very action-packed, physically demanding show. What was the most challenging part of that?

LA: Zach and I have a very exciting scene at the end of the series where it’s just me and him and I think, for us, that was the most action-packed and where our characters’ storylines have been building to. I gave fully over to the idea of doing my own stunts and sometimes got a little too over-enthusiastic. I think these characters, particularly the seven of us, are not only going through a huge emotional journey, but also a huge physical undertaking, traversing different landscapes, making an epic pilgrimage journey and being in a physical, involving experience.

ZW: It’s a story about these characters on the road to change the world. Some of those scenes when you’re out in the woods, maybe doing a massive fight scene or you’re working with horses for example, it’s always in the back of your mind that it’s exhausting and it’s taken it out of you both physically and mentally. 

This kind of show, with epic adventures and a large cast, tends to create a huge bonding experience. What was that like for you and did you ever contemplate something like matching tattoos, like the cast of Lord of the Rings did? 

ZW: We were going to all get tattoos across our foreheads that said Blood Origin but there was some sort of legal thing about not doing that! You realise it’s not just your characters who need each other, but you all do too. Creating some amazing work with amazing people, it’s a privilege and a blessing and a lot of fun. It’s a unique story about a group of people needing freedom and battling against the forces that be – we really created that on and off filming. 

LA: We decided against that, but we did talk a little bit about that on set. But, in terms of bonding, this was the most incredible group of people to work with. We became so close because of the conditions we worked in: the fact you’re together constantly, also the subject matter and the relationships the characters are building. The fact these characters are thrown together with a shared mission creates this sparky, special intensity that was really unique to the show. 

For Zach and I playing Celestial siblings, that was such a special thing too. 

The language is quite contemporary, but it’s presented as a period piece. How do you balance that?

ZW: I think that’s one of the beauties about the writing of the show. Declan de Barra, as showrunner and executive producer, created this epic story but with the nuances of everyday life.

LA: The relationship he makes with the audience with all of these different characters transcends era and genre and will capture the heart of not only existing fans but a whole new world of Witcher fans.

Lenny Henry came to the show straight off the back of Rings of Power. Did he bring any fantasy genre advice to you both?

ZW: Working with Lenny was fantastic. He brings so much joy to what he does. He is playing a character with a lot of chaos and darkness within them and for someone to do that and have a smile upon their face… He has such a plethora of work behind him, just to work with him and have that ease, to give your best and have fun in those darker times – I think he really leads the way in that.

LA: One of the greatest lessons I took from Lenny was just a brilliant sense of playfulness and imagination. I think that’s so important when you’re working in a genre like this. We’re dealing with a whole world beyond our understanding of 2022 and contemporary life; he brought play and freedom and, in doing so, empowered us to explore and embrace that too. That’s an incredible gift. I’m so grateful to him for that.

There’s also a huge element of romance in this world. How was that – particularly for you, Lizzie, with your character, Zacaré?

LA: It comes back to the idea that we are dealing with a whole new race of characters in the Elven world, but the wants, the needs and desires are so identifiable for our audience: they want to be loved, they want to be saved, they want to be uplifted. The romantic storyline that my character has is really special because it’s a love that’s been built many years before we even knew these two characters, born out of a sense of deep understanding, trust and respect. It’s lovely to meet two characters who’ve already discovered each other in that sense. We watch their love grow and develop from there. it was really beautiful. Huw and I always said we found solace, sanctuary and salvation in each other that built a really tender backstory. 

What was your approach to your onscreen sibling relationship?

ZW: Luckily Lizzie was the first person I met. We had a chat with our director, Sarah O’Gorman, about the relationship between them both, and Zacaré and Syndril are born under a celestial star and share a magical kineticism. There is a bond that links them beyond a physical relationship; there is spirit and magic. So that was something we discussed and we kept that dialogue open until the end of filming: how that relationship could develop. Brothers and sisters often butt heads so we looked at that and how that could be integrated.

LA: We kept bringing new things to each other, like, “What if this happened when we were five?” or “What if this happened with a member of our family?” etc. Between the two of us, we really enriched the fabric of our shared history. There was also a solid base of trust between us and it was lots of fun. I really hope that shines through.

It’s impossible not to mention the loss of Henry Cavill from the franchise. What is your reaction and do you feel the weight of that, now Blood Origin is the first thing to come out of this departure?

LA: Blood Origin exists 1,200 years before The Witcher as we know it – the world Henry has so brilliantly inhabited over the last few series. It has its own identity in that sense and we are exploring a different era of the Continent, even though it’s intrinsically linked. I think it stands alone too. In terms of Henry leaving the series. I think he’s done an absolutely phenomenal job and has given so, so much to this world. It’ll be interesting to see what comes from the next chapter. 

Ezelle Alblas 

The Witcher: Blood Origin is released on Netflix on 25^th December 2022. Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for The Witcher: Blood Origin here: