The Witcher star Anya Chalotra reveals Season 3 of the hit-fantasy Netflix series draws inspiration from Indian dance for its depiction of magic.
It appears that Netflix’s The Witcher is altering its depiction of the physical demands of magic in Season 3. Actor Anya Chalotra, who stars as Yennefer of Vengerberg, recently revealed the show is drawing inspiration from Indian dance.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Chalotra explained, “We get a lot more magic this season, and I was excited for that because I don’t think we’ve seen enough of it… Also the movements of magic, which have evolved for Yennefer. We put a lot of Indian dance and movements into this, because we wanted to be specific and for magic to be more placed. We were looking into ways we could do that and make it more personal.”
The actor did not specify any forms of Indian dance or how significant the evolution is when it comes to the physical appearance of the use of magic. However, previous seasons exhibited no specific style of movement when it came to magic, regardless of whether or not the magic-users were human sorceresses or elven magic users. Neither Chalotra nor showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich — who also partook in the interview — offered an explanation as to why Yennefer’s style had evolved.
Yennefer’s Redemption in The Witcher
But Chalotra and Hissrich did divulge part of Yennefer’s arc in The Witcher Season 3, confirming that it will involve attempts to reconnect with Geralt of Rivia, after attempting to essentially kill his Child Surprise in Season 2. Chalotra stated, “She puts a lot of time and energy and effort into making it up to them at the beginning of season 3. That quite quickly and quite organically evolves into a real family dynamic.” Hissrich suggested the pivotal moments in Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship will arrive at the Beltane festival in Season 3.
According to recent reports, Yennefer and Geralt will not be on speaking terms at the beginning of The Witcher Season 3. This will compel the sorceress to communicate with the monster slayer through a series of letters in the vein of the “Dear Friend” letters from the novels. This minor arc will conclude in two episodes. It should be noted that this has not been officially confirmed.
This appears to be intended to address some of the major complaints fans have had with Yennefer’s depiction in the Netflix series. Her arc, involving a wholly original villain named Voleth Mier, was not well-recieved by the fanbase and many criticized the significant deviation from the source material, Blood of Elves (translated by Danusia Stok).
The Witcher Season 3 will release in two volumes. Volume 1 is set to premiere on June 29 and Volume 2 will release on July 27. Only on Netflix.
