Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Witcher Wednesday - Cast 101 (Anya Chalotra as Yennefer and Freya Allan as Ciri)

Cast 101: Leading Ladies Edition

Not too long ago, we debuted our Cast 101 feature, beginning with our leading man, Henry Cavill. Now, it's time for the ladies. On this Witcher Wednesday, we give you some background on Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri). Their careers may not be as prolific as Henry what's-up-I-played-superman Cavill's, but they are certainly not novices in the art of acting either. In fact, the general press is already starting to take notice.

So, what are they all about? The post will give you a breakdown on their past projects and work on set of The Witcher season one. And remember, there is always the wiki cast page should you need a quick refresher.

Past Work

A breakdown of Anya Chalotra's and Freya Allan's roles before The Witcher.

Anya Chalotra

Wanderlust (clips)

  • Anya plays Jennifer Ashman, a well-liked, well-read girl in school with a reputation.
  • Spoilers: she hasn’t actually had sex though. Anya plays with her with a cold vulnerability that warms as things go on.
  • Watch for Anya’s dimples and ability to play a Cool Girl with ease.

The ABC Murders (clips)

  • Here, Anya demonstrates some of the range that must have impressed The Witcher’s casting directors. Working with much darker material, Anya plays confidant to a serial killer, nailing the role of a woman in love with a tortured creeper (played by none other than The Witcher’s Cahir aka Eamon Farren).
  • Watch for Anya stepping on a pathetic man’s back in stiletto heels until he bleeds. Surely that sentence alone has Yennefer energy.
  • The ABC Murders holds a special place in the fandom’s heart seeing as its premiere gave us some of the first photos of Anya during the period of time she would have been filming The Witcher.
  • See those rare cryptid pics here.

Sherwood (featurette)

  • While Wanderlust and The ABC Murders were key but minor parts, Sherwood is a leading gig through and through. Anya voices the main protagonist, Robin, who you could guess is a cyberpunk Robin Hood.
  • This animated series is a YouTube original and we’ll be curious to see if it snags a second season.
  • Watch for Anya playing a hero and that sweet, sweet voice.

The Village (Trailer)

  • This is the lauded stage performance that landed her the role of Yennefer. It impressed the folks over at Sophie Holland Casting so deeply, they couldn’t get her out of their minds for Yennefer despite Anya being just a bit younger than the ages they were targeting in casting calls.
  • From the trailer alone, we can guess the rave reviews weren’t stretching facts: this girl’s got presence.
  • Watch (clips, since the stage play ended its run last year) for Anya screaming and looking badass throughout.

Much Ado About Nothing (Trailer)

  • A bit less is known about this Shakespearean-comedy-with-a-twist. Anya plays Hero, who’s at the center of this well-worn tale.
  • We can only imagine the glowing reviews underscoring her captivating performance were dead-on. It’s a big jump from theater to television. And not just to any television show either: The Witcher has major hype heading into its first season.

Freya Allen

Captain Fierce (short film)

  • While Freya’s career before The Witcher is mostly advertisements, shorts, and bit parts, Captain Fierce stands out as a thorough taste of her abilities as an actress.
  • The roughly 14 minute short follows Freya as Linda, a precocious teenager helping to fix up a small boat so she and her friend can go on an adventure.
  • A bittersweet snapshot of youthful fantasies, give this a watch for your Freya fix (that is, until The Witcher drops this winter).

Into the Badlands (promo still)

  • A small thankless role, Freya plays a younger version of series protagonist, The Widow.

  • Watch for Ciri with red hair and a minor action sequence, maybe?

Beyond these roles, there are plenty more on the way seeing as Freya is booked and busy! The War of the Worlds, Gunpowder Milkshake, and The Third Day are all in production. The Witcher is on the way as well, and judging by the most recent teaser, Ciri is in safe hands.

The Witcher

Yennefer of Vengerberg

Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich describes Yennefer as “Fiery. Proud. Shrewd. Contradictory. Seeking-to-fill-a-family-sized-hole-in-her-heart-even-though-she-resents-it-&-swears-she's-just-fine-on-her-own-but-she-is-not-and-we-love-her-for-being-both-independent-and-vulnerable.” And that just about nails it. The tough exterior gives way to the gooey center when matters of family – specifically Geralt and Ciri – come into play.

Yennefer first appears in the short story, The Last Wish, but the Netflix series will be introducing her from the start as well as shedding light on her dramatic backstory. In the books, the facts of Yennefer’s life before she crossed paths with Geralt, entwining their fates, are slowly revealed. First as hints (Geralt realizing she was once a hunchback as early as their first meeting), then fuller stories revolving around her relationship with meticulous mentor Tissaia de Vries, who television audiences will also be meeting long before their book reading counterparts did.

All of this and more is evident in the teaser that was released this summer at San Diego Comic Con. Check it out to see and hear Anya Chalotra as Yennefer. Behold her patented HBIC stare, witness the transformation from girl to woman to ageless goddess, bask in the glory of her guttural screams. Mwah.

Our favorite book quote

She surprised him. Instead of cursing and hiding her head beneath the pillow, the sorceress sat up, ran her hand through her hair, and began searching the bed for her nightgown. Geralt knew that the nightgown lay behind the head of the bed, just where Yennefer had thrown it last night. But he kept silent. Yennefer hated that sort of comment. The sorceress cursed suddenly, kicked the blanket, raised her hand and snapped her fingers. The nightgown flew out from behind the bed and, waving the flounces like an eerie ghost, landed straight in her extended hand. Geralt sighed. Yennefer rose, walked to him, embraced him, and bit his arm. Geralt sighed. The list of things he'd have to get used to seemed infinite.

– “Something ends, something begins”

Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, the Lion Cub of Cintra

"Resilient. Relentless. Brazen. Growing. Going-to-change-the-world-and-what-the-hell-is-she-supposed-to-do-except-be-scared-&-bold-&-learn-&-adapt-&-find-a-family-who-can-walk-by-her-side-no-matter-what-and-maybe-just-maybe-teach-her-the-meaning-of-love."

Here, Hissrich distills the essence of a tough princess surviving hardship after hardship into a 280 character tweet. These are the pillars of Ciri's story throughout Sapkowski's saga of fate and family. From a young age, Ciri suffers unrelenting tragedy. Right when comfort and family is within her reach, it's torn away. Hunted, manipulated, mistreated, lost and found (and lost again)... She survives it all. From the fall of Cintra to the separation at Thanedd which leads to a period of lawlessness and wandering, tracked by her chosen family, this kid has more than earned a break.

Unfortunately for her, the Netflix series doesn't seem to be holding anything back. The story in the series appears to mirror the books in that Ciri begins as the Lion Cub of Cintra, granddaughter of the fierce Queen Calanthe and a Child of Surprise owed to Geralt of Rivia. Tragedy strikes her kingdom, leaving her orphaned and in danger from mysterious forces for mysterious reasons. As for her her path, it always leads to Geralt (and by extension, Yennefer). Destiny would have it no other way.

Our favorite book quote

“Madam Yennefer, Forgive me. I'm riding to Hirundum because I want to see Geralt. I want to see him before I start school. Forgive my disobedience, but I must. I know you'll punish me, but I don't want to regret my indecision and hesitation. If I'm to have regrets, let them be for deeds and actions. I'm an enchantress. I seize life by the scruff of the neck. I'll return when I can. - Ciri”

– Time of Contempt

What have they been filming?

In the words of our showrunner: "I knew I needed to include the short stories, and I wanted to tell them with Yennefer and Ciri at the forefront as well as Geralt, even with The Last Wish [set] before Ciri is born.”

So, let's take a look at what they've been up to.

Anya Chalotra (Yennefer)

The fight scene

Anya filmed scenes on Roque Nublo on Gran Canaria. In them, we see her with Queen Kalis of Lyria (played by Isobel Laidler), protecting the mother and her child from an unknown sorcerer (played by Marcin Czarnik). They also, at some point, emerge from a muddy puddle. Isobel features in the trailer and it's possible the SDCC-exclusive scene of Yennefer monologuing to a dead baby is the aftermath of this. We have a video collection and an image collection of leaks from that set, but for those of you on old Reddit or who want the highlights, here are some:

With the mages at Ogrodzieniec Castle

Scenes featuring Vilgefortz and many of the sorceresses were filmed at Ogrodzieniec Castle in Poland. This takes place in the final episode, and with Anya spotted there, we know that's where Yennefer's journey will take her. The general consensus is that the sequence will be related to the Battle of Sodden Hill.

The teaser

The teaser trailer for the show filled in some more blanks. We'll see a young Yen at Aretuza, with Anya playing the sorceress both pre and post transformation. She'll also meet Geralt at Beltane celebrations as in the short story Something More. If you need a refresher, here's a link to the trailer.

Short stories

We don't have any image leaks for them, but there are short stories we know are featuring due to other characters being cast. The Last Wish is being adapted. It features Yen and Geralt's first meeting. The Bounds of Reason, which sees them ~hunt a dragon, is also in season one. As mentioned previously, Something More is included too. However, while Istredd is cast, signs seem to be pointing to A Shard of Ice not being directly adapted in the first season.

Freya Allan (Ciri)

Brokilon

We've had hardly a scrap of Freya on set. However, Redanian Intelligence may have spotted her in Brokilon. We know she'll be there in season one - Discussion | Image | Zoomed-in image | Article

The Hunting Lodge

Via Redanian Intelligence, it was revealed that filming for "swamp scenes" took place at Gyarmatpuszta Hunting Lodge. Both Henry and Freya filmed there, though it's not known if they filmed together. We do know Freya had a busy week of night shoots there, though, and also filmed by the lake - Discussion | Article

The teaser

The teaser confirmed we'll see Ciri in Cintra. This means Freya will have been filming with the likes of Jodhi May, who plays Queen Calanthe. After the city is sieged, she'll have to flee. And, as mentioned previously and shown in the trailer, she will eventually reach Brokilon. If you need a refresher, here's a link to the trailer.

Short stories

All of the short stories Ciri features in will be adapted. The Sword of Destiny, which shows her first meeting with Geralt in Brokilon, will be in the show. Something More is also being adapted – the family who adopts Ciri before her emotional reunion with Geralt has been cast.

Social Media

Both Anya and Freya are not particularly active in the public social media sphere, but that doesn't mean that they haven't found ways to bless us with a few gems. Two to be exact. During San Diego Comic Con, they partnered up for two interview featurettes and the results were delightful.

  • First, Anya and Freya took to Instagram and did an AMA. Sadly the Instagram stories are gone, but as always with the internet, the AMA is available on YouTube - Discussion | Video

  • They also stayed true to their art and did a dramatic reading. They could have done Shakespeare like everybody else, but they went with a more daring choice and read what is all the craze these days: fan tweets! Yennefer fans have no chill we respect that deeply - Discussion | Video

Apart from these highlights, there where also smaller nuggets of content.

  • Thanks to MyAnna Buring (Tissaia de Vries), we got our first Witcher social media post featuring the elusive Anya. Great entrance, we have to say - Discussion | Post

  • To celebrate The Witcher's debut at Comic Con, Ossian Perret (Lord Tinglant) dropped tons of photos of the casting hanging out behind the scenes. Anya and Freya feature in one of the group selfies, beaming for the camera. We stan a happy family pic - Discussion | Post

  • A lion cub took a selfie and the internet loved it - Discussion | Post

  • Anya reflected on San Diego Comic Con 2019 and shared some photos from her trip - July 22 | July 30

Community Questions

  • What strengths do you think Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan bring to their roles?
  • Have you seen any of their other work? What did you think of it?
  • What did you think of the glimpses we got of Anya and Freya in the latest Witcher teaser?
  • Which Yennefer and Ciri (together or individual) scenes are you most excited for in season one?
  • If we were hosting an AMA with The Witcher's leading ladies tomorrow, what questions would you ask?

(Previous Witcher Wednesdays - Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,21,22, 23, 24, 25, 26,27, 28,29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)

Have an idea for a Witcher Wednesday? We've love to hear your suggestions, or work with you on making the post – just contact the mod team via modmail!



Submitted September 04, 2019 at 07:44PM by badfortheenvironment https://ift.tt/2I0KgKb
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