The Witcher star Freya Allan, who portrays Princess Ciri in the Netflix series, has revealed which of the book’s storylines she is most looking forward to the show adapting for The Witcher season 4 and season 5. Adapted from the series of fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher premiered on Netflix in December 2019, starring Henry Cavill in the titular role, and Allan as co-lead. The show has been mired in production controversy surrounding the approach to the source material, especially after Cavill’s departure from The Witcher after three seasons. Liam Hemsworth is set to replace him for the final two seasons.
With confirmation that The Witcher season 5 will be its last, Allan has opened up about which storyline from the novels she’s most looking forward to. In an interview with Inverse, Allan revealed that she only had a vague idea about what the final season could focus on, but that she is excited about Ciri’s current storyline, which sees her join the group of violent misfits known as the Rats. Check out her comments below:
With The Witcher concluding after five seasons, instead of the originally envisaged seven, there are concerns among audiences that the show will not be able to do justice to Ciri’s storyline. It is true that viewers could see her arc end differently from the novels, but there might be a little more of a definitive conclusion too. In the books, Ciri’s story ends with her accepting Galahad’s invitation to Camelot, as Geralt and Yennefer travel to Avalon. Ciri never officially becomes a witcher in the books, but she does receive witcher training, and it is made clear that she considers herself a witcher.
Of course, when adapting from novel to screen, there have to be some changes, and it is likely that Ciri’s storyline, and ending, will probably differ somewhat from the books. Indeed, she could even become a witcher at the end of the show, as happened at the end of The Witcher 3 video game. However, there is also the chance that her tenure with the Rats could last for the remainder of the show, and might even shape her arc, as she quests to regain and control her power, and find her place in a dangerous and ever-changing world.
The Witcher has been pivotal to the trajectory of Allan’s career, and, in many ways, this mirrors the character of Ciri, who has come of age on the show. Audiences will be hoping that the fan favorite character gets the storyline she deserves, and that her time on the show ends in a satisfying and engaging way. The character has been through so much on the show, and has developed in unexpected ways, and it remains to be seen what the conclusion holds for Ciri, and whether The Witcher can do justice to this layered and complex character.
Source: Inverse