The Witcher: Sirens Of The Deep Release Window, Cast, Plot, And More Details
Netflix's "Witcher" universe is in an interesting place right now. When it premiered on the streaming service in late 2019, "The Witcher" so quickly secured its place as one of Netflix's most popular shows that it was followed by not only an animated spin-off film in 2021 but also a Michelle Yeoh-led prequel TV series. "The Witcher" Season 3 wasn't received as well as the show's first two, though, and with longtime star Henry Cavill set to be replaced as Geralt of Rivia by "The Hunger Games" actor Liam Hemsworth, the longevity of the franchise's central TV series has been called into question.
Netflix is nonetheless moving forward with its ongoing expansion of the "Witcher" universe. Indeed, not only is "The Witcher" Season 4 currently in the works, the streaming service also announced that it is already in the midst of making yet another animated "Witcher" spin-off film. The movie, titled "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep," will bring to life one of Geralt of Rivia's previously unseen adventures. In doing so, it will give fans the chance to spend some more time in the franchise's beloved fantasy world while they wait for "The Witcher" Season 4.
Taking all of this into account, here's what you should know about "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep," including its plot, voice cast, director, and more.
When will The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep be released?
Netflix has not yet set a specific release date for "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep." The streaming service has, however, revealed that the highly anticipated film will debut sometime in late 2024. That means it'll likely arrive on Netflix more than three years after the studio's first animated "Witcher" spin-off film, "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf," which was originally released on August 23, 2021.
The new movie is also currently set to be released by Netflix a little over one year after Part 2 of "The Witcher" Season 3, which premiered in late July. Notably, it was reported earlier in 2023 that "The Witcher" Season 4's release date has been delayed. Production on the show's next season isn't expected to begin until next year, which means that it may not premiere on Netflix until 2025.
Fortunately, by debuting in late 2024, "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" may be able to help fans cope with the prolonged delay between its parent series' third and fourth seasons.
What is the plot of The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep?
"The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" follows the franchise's central monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia, as he's hired to investigate a mysterious series of attacks in a seaside village located on the Continent. As a result of his investigation, Geralt unexpectedly finds himself at the center of an age-old conflict between the human beings of the Continent and the merpeople who live beneath its waters. Along the way, he teams up with allies, both old and new, to try to solve the problems that have arrived at his doorstep.
As those familiar with the source material that "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" is based on will know, the animated film should not only tell a story of underwater conflict but also unrequited love, romantic sacrifice, compromise, and death. Whether or not the movie will actually explore all of those themes remains to be seen. Either way, its unique underwater setting alone should be enough to entice both casual and die-hard "Witcher" fans alike to check it out when it premieres on Netflix in 2024.
Who is starring in The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep?
The full voice cast for "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" has not yet been revealed. That said, Netflix has announced who some of the actors are that fans can expect to hear in the new film, including Doug Cockle, who will voice Geralt of Rivia. Cockle is best known for voicing Geralt in the original "Witcher" video games, which means his take on the iconic character is one that many fans already know well. His role in "Sirens of the Deep" marks the first time that he's played Geralt in one of Netflix's "Witcher" projects.
"I am super excited to announce my return to the world of 'The Witcher' voicing Geralt of Rivia once again," Cockle said in conjunction with Netflix's "Sirens of the Deep" casting announcement. "I'm thrilled to be able to share this next chapter of the White Wolf's journey with fans of the 'Witcher' universe."
In addition to Cockle, Netflix also announced that "The Witcher" stars Anya Chalotra and Joey Batey will reprise their roles as Yennefer of Vengerberg and Jaskier, respectively, in the new animated film. Christina Wren, meanwhile, is expected to voice Essi Daven, a new character to the Netflix adaptations, but one whose name should be familiar to any die-hard fans of author Andrzej Sapkowski's original "Witcher" books and short stories. Wren's previous credits include 2013's "Man of Steel," 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and ABC's "Will Trent."
Who is directing The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep?
According to Netflix, "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" will be directed by animation veteran Kang Hei Chul. The filmmaker previously worked as a storyboard artist on Netflix's other animated "Witcher" spin-off movie, "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf." The new film marks Chul's feature directorial debut, but the animator has worked as a storyboard artist and animation director on numerous projects, including "The Death of Superman," "Teen Titans GO! To the Movies," and more. Chul's previous directing credits also include three episodes of the Netflix animated series "Lookism," which premiered on the streaming service in 2022.
"The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" is coming from Studio MIR, the same South Korean animation studio responsible for "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf." Outside of the "Witcher" universe, Studio MIR has previously worked on "The Legend of Korra," "Voltron: Legendary Defender," Netflix's "Skull Island," Adult Swim's "My Adventures with Superman," and the memorable "Star Wars: Visions" Season 2 short, "Journey to the Dark Head."
Who is writing and producing The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep?
"The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" is coming from some of the same creatives responsible for its live-action Netflix parent series.
The film is written by Mike Ostrowski and Rae Benjamin, both of whom have previously worked on "The Witcher." Benjamin is credited as a staff writer on all eight episodes of "The Witcher" Season 3, while Ostrowski penned the first and last episodes of the same season, as well as the penultimate installments of "The Witcher" Seasons 1 and 2. Benjamin's other credits include "Our Flag Means Death" and "Bridgerton," while Ostrowski has written episodes of "Colony," "The Blacklist," "Being Human," and "Private Practice."
In addition to Benjamin and Ostrowski's contributions, "Sirens of the Deep" will be produced by "The Witcher" showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. "The Witcher" creator Andrzej Sapkowski is also attached as a creative consultant for the forthcoming film. In other words, "Sirens of the Deep" is primed to fit well within Netflix's existing "Witcher" world. That may come as either welcome or bad news to fans, depending on how they feel about the streaming service's previous "Witcher"-related offerings.
Is there a trailer for The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep?
Netflix has thus far released two trailers for "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep." The teaser trailer is less than a minute long, but it packs plenty of action into its relatively short runtime. Not only does it set up the underwater conflict at the center of the animated film, but it also offers viewers plenty of glimpses at the kind of fantasy action sequences that they can expect to see in it. From a brief shot of Geralt of Rivia fighting a merperson underwater to another of him unleashing a devastating blast of magic on a manmade ship, the trailer sets its adventure up to be just as exciting as any other that "Witcher" fans have seen on Netflix up to this point.
Netflix also released a brief announcement trailer for the film shortly before unveiling its official teaser. The video shows Geralt walking among tall statues beneath purple storm clouds whilst musing, "The humans aren't looking for truth. It's no longer about sustenance. It's about greed." The teaser is, in other words, even lighter on story details than the official "Sirens of the Deep" trailer, but it does a good job of re-establishing both Geralt's low view of humanity and Doug Cockle's inimitable vocal performance as the character.
For now, these two short trailers are all that have been released for "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep." Odds are, though, that fans will get to see more footage from the film closer to its release date.
Is The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep based on a book?
"The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" is, indeed, based on a pre-existing story; specifically, the forthcoming animated film is inspired by "Witcher" author Andrzej Sapkowski's 1992 short story, "A Little Sacrifice." It is one of six included in "Sword of Destiny," the second short story collection in Sapkowski's "Witcher" book series. Like the film it's inspired, "A Little Sacrifice" follows Geralt of Rivia as he's forced to quell a potential war between the people of the Continent and their underwater neighbors.
The story also focuses on Geralt as he tries to help a human prince and a mermaid find a way to make their star-crossed romance work. At the same time, Geralt finds himself on the receiving end of some romantic advances from Essi Daven, a professional bard. As its plot progresses, more layers of tragedy, romance, and bittersweet compromise gradually emerge, all of which culminate in an ending that aligns well with the "Witcher" universe's unique brand of brutality and quiet heartbreak.
Is The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep part of a cinematic universe/canon?
Yes, "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" is part of an existing cinematic universe. Netflix has already confirmed that the animated film takes place in the same continuity as its live-action "Witcher" TV series. That, in turn, means that the film also takes place in the same reality and timeline as all of Netflix's other "Witcher" projects, including "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf" and "The Witcher: Blood Origin."
The latter title, a prequel miniseries starring Michelle Yeoh and set over 1,000 years before the events of "The Witcher," premiered on Netflix in December 2022. That makes it the most recent "Witcher" spin-off that Netflix has produced and released. Notably, both it and "Nightmare of the Wolf" take place years before the start of "The Witcher." That detail links them but also separates the two titles from "Sirens of the Deep," which is set in the same timeframe as "The Witcher" Season 1.
"Sirens of the Deep" is, therefore, the first of Netflix's "Witcher" spin-offs that's actually set at the same time as the franchise's central show.
What to watch before seeing The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep
Netflix has confirmed that "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" takes place between Episodes 5 and 6 of "The Witcher" Season 1. The latter episode is, like "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep," based on a short story from "Sword of Destiny." Even more importantly, there's a 6-year time jump between the two episodes, which means that it actually makes sense for "Sirens of the Deep" to be set there.
All of this is to say that anyone who checks out the new film would be wise to watch, at the very least, the first five episodes of "The Witcher" Season 1. Those episodes should provide them with everything they'll need to know about Geralt of Rivia, his friends, and the kind of adventures that usually consume his days. Of course, anyone who's interested in diving any deeper into the franchise before "Sirens of the Deep" could also watch all three seasons of "The Witcher." After that, they could check out the show's animated spin-off film, "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf," as well as its four-episode prequel miniseries, "The Witcher: Blood Origin."
It doesn't seem like it'll be necessary for anyone who watches "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" to have seen those latter two titles. However, if they want to be as well-versed in Netflix's "Witcher" universe as possible before "Sirens of the Deep," checking them out certainly wouldn't hurt.
Where to watch the other Witcher movies and TV shows
Netflix's "Witcher" franchise has been gradually expanding ever since its central, live-action TV series premiered in late 2019. Since then, it has grown to include not only an animated prequel film but also a four-part miniseries. The good news is that — as daunting as diving into the "Witcher" universe in 2023 may seem — all of the franchise's titles are available to stream right now on the same platform.
Indeed, Netflix has been — and continues to be — the streaming home for every "Witcher" movie and TV show. That makes it the place viewers have to go if they're either interested in starting "The Witcher" or want to check out any of its live-action and animated spin-offs.
That also means that Netflix is where viewers will want to go to watch "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" when it premieres in late 2024.