Minnie Driver joins The Witcher -verse in pivotal role that starts with Blood Origin

UPDATE: After announcing that actress Minnie Driver would be joining The Witcher: Blood Origin during TUDUM on Saturday, Netflix shared a first-look photo and character details on Monday.

Driver will play Seanchaí, who, according to series creator Declan de Barra, is "a shapeshifting storyteller that can travel between worlds and times." De Barra tells TUDUM, "She's essentially a collector of stories that are forgotten. She believes this story needs to be told again in the modern Witcher world for progress to be made in the future."

Netflix Minnie Driver appears in 'The Witcher: Blood Origin' as Seanchaí, a shapeshifting storyteller.

The original article continues below.

EARLIER: Who knew that the glue to hold the Witcher-verse together would be actress Minnie Driver?

The Good Will Hunting Oscar nominee, more recently seen in HBO Max series Starstruck and the Camila Cabello-fronted Cinderella movie, has joined Netflix's fantasy franchise in a pivotal role that connects The Witcher's past and future.

The streaming giant made the announcement Saturday during its virtual fan event TUDUM. It all begins with The Witcher: Blood Origin.

Driver will narrate the spin-off miniseries in character, the identity of which is being kept under wraps for the time being. But whoever this figure is, Driver will be popping up again, likely on the main Witcher drama with actor Henry Cavill.

Lia Toby/Getty Images; Jay Maidment/Netflix Minnie Driver joins the 'Witcher' franchise in a role that connects 'Blood Origin' to the future

The Witcher: Blood Origin goes back thousands of years before The Witcher and deals with the events surrounding the creation of the first prototype witcher, as well as the Conjunction of the Spheres, the phenomenon that caused the worlds of elves, humans, and monsters to merge together.

Previously announced as six episodes, Blood Origin will now consist of four meaty installments.

Sophia Brown stars in the streaming TV event as Éile, a warrior among the once-thriving elven society who gave up her position in the Queens-guard to pursue the life of a traveling minstrel. The other two members of the main trio consist of Laurence O'Fuarain as Fjall, an elven strongman out to avenge the death of a friend, and Michelle Yeoh as Scian, the last of a tribe of nomadic sword-elves on a mission to retrieve an ancient sword that was stolen.

Netflix announced at TUDUM that Blood Origin will premiere Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

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