‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’: Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and How to Watch
Netflix’s The Witcher may not return for season 2 until December, but fans will get the chance to enjoy an anime movie set in the same world this summer. Titled The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, the film follows Geralt of Rivia’s mentor, Vesemir, before the fall of the witcher fortress Kaer Morhen. The movie will offer fans insight into what Geralt’s world looked like before witchers were considered outcasts, back when magic and monsters were more prevalent across the Continent. Here’s everything fans need to know about the upcoming release.
When does ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ come out on Netflix?
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf debuts on Netflix on Aug. 23, giving fans an ideal way to top off their summer. Since the live-action series doesn’t arrive until the holiday season, the anime film allows viewers to return to this world in the meantime. It also gives them more background on witchers and mages before heading into season 2.
The original show’s second outing will also introduce an older Vesemir, so Nightmare of the Wolf will allow fans to see different sides of the character. It’ll be interesting to compare the two renditions of the character when the new episodes arrive.
Theo James voices Vesemir — here’s who else is in the anime film’s cast
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf follows Vesemir, who is voiced by none other than Theo James. Well known for his role as Four in Divergent, James stars in another anime project on Netflix as well: Castlevania.
Joining James in Nightmare of the Wolf‘s voice cast are Lara Pulver, Graham McTavish, and Mary McDonnell. McDonnell, who appears on Battlestar Galactica and Major Crimes, portrays Vesemir’s childhood friend Lady Zerbst. She’s an advocate for the witchers, even as the rest of society turns on them.
McTavish, who works with James on Castlevania, voices Deglan. Deglan is another witcher, and he appears to be one of Vesemir’s teachers. Unlike Vesemir, Deglan represents the older witchers who trained and hunted in a much different world than the one Vesemir, and eventually Geralt, are thrust into.
Pulver rounds out the movie’s main cast, lending her voice to Tetra. Tetra is a mage who is suspicious of witchers, and it looks like she’ll have an interesting on-screen dynamic with Vesemir. While Vesemir shows fans what witcher history looks like, Tetra demonstrates how mages existed on the Continent before magic became a point of contention.
‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ trailer teases why Vesemir became a witcher
Netflix’s trailer for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf promises to bring viewers through Vesemir’s transition to becoming a witcher alongside him. That means they’ll see firsthand the mutations witchers experience to receive their powers. They’ll also see what the witchers were like before their home, Kaer Morhen, fell to ruin.
The footage hints at Vesemir’s reason for becoming a witcher as well — and it seems like he went through the transition to achieve some level of freedom. Of course, that freedom comes with a great deal of danger, much of which is also outlined throughout the trailer. The anime film appears to have no shortage of monsters and mayhem. It also teases a looming threat bigger than any individual beast.
How to watch ‘The Witcher’ movie when it comes out on Netflix
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is exclusive to Netflix, so only subscribers will be able to stream the film when it arrives. Netflix films and shows usually release around 12 a.m. PT, so the anime film will be available as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Aug. 23.
