Adapted from the novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski (which had previously been turned into a video-game franchise), it follows a monster hunter named Geralt of Rivia ( Henry Cavill , “Man of Steel”) as he hacks and slashes his way across a landscape known as the Continent. But where the series most distinguishes itself is through its joint focus on two female leads, Princess Cirilla of Sintra ( Freya Allan ) and sorceress-in-training Yennefer of Vengerberg ( Anya Chalotra ), whose storylines take up as much time as one concerning Cavill’s titular “witcher.”

Earlier this year, “Game of Thrones” ended its eight-year run on HBO, leaving most major TV networks scrambling to find the next high-fantasy mega-hit. One of the first attempts to recapture that “Thrones” magic is Netflix’s “The Witcher" (eight episodes, now streaming), which similarly boasts a sprawling fantasy world, expensive-looking battle sequences, and enough plot threads to weave a center-hall tapestry.


“You get to see both Ciri and Yennefer independent of Geralt,” explained Allan, 18, speaking by phone. “Both of them have a strength that’s not the consequence of a man, which you so often see in this fantasy genre.”

Added Chalotra, 23: “We get to invest in their journeys alongside Geralt’s, not through his eyes."

Both actresses leapt at the chance to relocate to Eastern Europe for filming and work with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (“Daredevil,” “The Defenders”) after hearing her vision for “The Witcher,” which sends Ciri, Yennefer, and Geralt on separate adventures and toward a shared destiny. Ciri’s introduced as her kingdom is sacked, forcing the princess to flee into a world more brutal than she’d previously realized. Yennefer, meanwhile, is asked to pay a steep price for beauty and power while studying witchcraft at a mysterious academy.

“Lauren had such ideas and ambition to develop these characters,” said Chalotra. “Andrzej writes women with strong attributes already, but we gave Yennefer and Ciri real backstories.”


Freya Allan in "The Witcher" Katalin Vermes/Handout

Allan said she quickly connected to Ciri, a young woman gradually harnessing her own power after finding herself alone in the world. "Ciri goes from a very particular structure to suddenly her whole life changing, where she has to adapt and learn,” said Allan. “I went through that even getting this role, having to move to a different country and be around completely new people.”

Chalotra acknowledges it was a little harder to relate to Yennefer. “Because of the journey Yennefer goes on, we follow her from the age of 14 till she’s somewhere in her late 70s,” explained the actress. “In addition to the physical and emotional challenges of playing her whole life on screen, we weren’t shooting in consecutive order, which was difficult to get my head around.”

Neither was overly familiar with Sapkowski’s novels or the games before landing their roles, but they both consider themselves fantasy fans. “It’s the escapism of it,” said Allan. “The world is so serious at the moment. To be transported to a new world filled with all kinds of possibilities that aren’t in our world, that’s a nice form of escapism.”

They’re both noted “Harry Potter” aficionados – especially Chalotra, who confessed nothing about “The Witcher” scared her as much as meeting Rupert Grint while acting opposite him in Agatha Christie miniseries “The ABC Murders,” which aired on Amazon Prime earlier this year.

“As soon as he walked in the room, I was speechless," said Chalotra, laughing. “Ronald Weasley. I’d never been starstruck before. I didn’t know he was going to be there, so I didn’t prepare myself emotionally, so I just went silent. But I played it so cool. He’ll never know I was a fan.”


Isaac Feldberg can be reached at isaac.feldberg@globe.com, or on Twitter at @isaacfeldberg.