Netflix fantasy prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin has been expanding its cast list as filming gets underway in the UK. The latest additions to the show, which charts the creation of the first Witcher and what took place in the time before the pivotal Conjunction of the Spheres, when all worlds joined to become one, are Lenny Henry, Mirren Mack, Nathaniel Curtis and Dylan Moran. This adds the series leads of Laurence O'Fuarain, Sophia Brown and Michelle Yeoh in the highly anticipated six-part show.

The new additions see British icon Lenny Henry, who has also recently been filming for Amazon's Lord of The Rings series, taking on the role of Balor. Mack plays Merwyn, Curtis will be Brían and Moran joins in the role of Uthrok One-Nut, and it seems that the additional cast members doesn't stop there either. Also joing are Jacob Collins Levy as Eredin, Lizzie Annis as Zacare, Huw Novelli as Callan, Francesca Mills as Meldof, Amy Murray as Fenrik and Zach Wyatt as Syndril.

The Witcher has been one of the biggest ratings hits for Netflix and they wasted no time in expanding the already rich universe with prequels, animated spin-offs and of course a second season of the main show, which premieres on December 17.

Blood Origin was originally confirmed back in July 2020 following the success of the mother show, which pulled in over 75 million viewers in its first month on the platform. While it hasn't been without its issues, including a prolonged delay due to Covid and the loss of one of its lead actors, in the last few months it has been full steam ahead for this and other Witcher projects including the animated Nightmare of The Wolf anime film, which arrives on Netflix next week and has already been seeing rave reviews from previews.

Declan de Barra, who acts as executive producer and showrunner on Blood Origin previously said of the prequel, "As a lifelong fan of fantasy, I am beyond excited to tell the story The Witcher: Blood Origin. A question has been burning in my mind ever since I first read The Witcher books - What was the Elven world really like before the cataclysmic arrival of the humans? I've always been fascinated by the rise and fall of civilizations, how science, discovery, and culture flourish right before that fall. How vast swathes of knowledge are lost forever in such a short time, often compounded by colonization and a rewriting of history. Leaving only fragments of a civilization's true story behind. The Witcher: Blood Origin will tell the tale of the Elven civilization before its fall, and most importantly reveal the forgotten history of the very first Witcher."

Fellow executive producer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich added, "I am so thrilled to collaborate with Declan and the Netflix team on The Witcher: Blood Origin. It's an exciting challenge to explore and expand The Witcher universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, and we can't wait to introduce fans to new characters and an original story that will enrich our magical, mythical world even more."

There is no current premiere date for The Witcher: Blood Origin but it is expected to arrive on Netflix next year.