Anya Chalotra cherishes Henry Cavill’s passion for “The Witcher.” The actress, who portrays Yennefer of Vengerberg in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novel series, told Variety in a 2023 interview that Cavill, whose final episodes starring as Geralt of Rivia will release later this month, brings a dedication to the production that seeps into every aspect of creation. And, according to Chalotra, Cavill’s hands-on approach is a “breath of fresh air.”
“He knows more than anyone about the world of ‘The Witcher,’ and all the rules and regulations and the terms and ‘Witcher’ knowledge — he’s up there,” said Chalotra. “So to work with that, it’s a blessing because there are days when you might disbelieve the world a little bit more than the next. And he’s there to go, ‘Hang on, we’ve got this.'”
As previously mentioned, Cavill’s time with “The Witcher” is almost over. After Season 3 Volume 2 drops on July 27, that’s it — Liam Hemsworth will don the mantle of the White Wolf for all future seasons. Cavill’s intensity for the source material will instead be directed at a live-action adaptation of “Warhammer 40,000” with Prime Video.
Henry Cavill wants creative authority to match his creative knowledge
While Anya Chalotra finds Henry Cavill’s intensity to be an asset, others find it to be a hindrance. In 2019, Vulture shared a cover story chronicling Cavill’s journey to landing the role of Geralt of Rivia, which included constant communication with everyone involved in the project. One such creative was Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich, the showrunner for “The Witcher,” who went on the record to say that she found Cavill to be “really annoying.”
That’s not to say that Schmidt-Hissrich believes Cavill is misinformed or inept — far from it. She’s also gone on the record to admit that few individuals understand “The Witcher” quite like him. While filming Season 2, Schmidt-Hissrich allowed him to rewrite the scene in which Roach, the name Geralt gives all of his horses, dies. “Henry was so unhappy with the [scene],” said Schmidt-Hissrich to Polygon in 2021. “Finally, I said, ‘You know what, you come up with something. I trust you, you know this material so well, you know the book so well, you don’t even have to pitch it to me.'”
Adding two and two together, whatever artistic license Schmidt-Hissrich permitted Cavill simply wasn’t enough. The star previously stated that he would stick with the project so long as it remained faithful to the source material. What else could explain why Cavill wants more creative control over his roles in the future?
