Netflix’s The Witcher Features A Surprising Game of Thrones Connection

It’s hard not to compare Netflix’s The Witcher with HBO’s Game of Thrones. After all, both shows take place in medieval settings where the monsters are often less fear-inducing than the people. Fans of both shows will be interested to know, however, that there is a bit more connective tissue between the two. Vladimir Furdik serves as the fight choreographer for The Witcher, but Game of Thrones fans might know him better as the actor who portrayed The Night King! Fans were quite surprised by the revelation when Furdik posted an on-set photo of himself with Yennefer actress Anya Chalotra.

While Furdik’s acting might make him more recognizable to fans, he also worked behind-the-scenes on Game of Thrones as a stunt coordinator for the first five seasons of the show. Furdik carried that talent over to The Witcher, where he was responsible for nearly every fight in the first season, save one: the Blaviken fight (this sequenced was coordinated by Wolfgang Stegemann). Given the strength of the fight scenes in The Witcher, it would seem that Furdik’s presence should be considered a welcome one. Unfortunately for fans, the choreographer will not return for season 2. According to Redanian Intelligence, Furdik very briefly mentioned his departure to a fan on Instagram, but gave no additional details.

Of course, the presence of any connective tissue between the two shows is all the more amusing given Andrzej Sapkowski’s previous dig at Game of Thrones. At Warsaw Comic Con 2018, The Witcher author took a playful shot at Ed Sheeran’s guest appearance during the seventh season of GoT, taking issue with the musician singing during the episode. Sapkowski made the statement to clarify that that sort of thing would not be happening in his adaptation. While the comment was clearly made in jest, his target was also unmistakable!

With Furdik out for season 2, it will be interesting to see who the producers enlist to take his place. Stegemann seems like a strong candidate given his work on the show, and the fact that he has previously worked with Geralt actor Henry Cavill on Mission Impossible: Fallout. With season 2 scheduled to begin filming soon, fans should know sooner rather than later.

Have you watched The Witcher yet? What do you think of the show’s fight choreography? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!