The Witcher starring Henry Cavill will release on Netflix in just a few weeks, and yet we’re still finding unrevealed cast members. This one has been a long time coming, as she has appeared in the show’s teaser trailer. After confirming our suspicion with Netflix, we’re glad to announce that Josette Simon has been cast as the Dryad Queen, Eithné!

In keeping with The Witcher‘s ensemble cast, the sixty year-old actress has rich theater experience, having played roles such as Cleopatra (in Antony and Cleopatra) and having acted beside the late Alan Rickman.

Josette Simon

The role itself will be familiar to anyone who read the short story The Sword of Destiny in the collection of the same name. Eithné is the leader of a partisan group of dryads, who are a non-human and entirely female species. The Dryads protect their home of Brokilon Forest, and have been fighting a futile war against the ever-expanding humans of The Continent. Brokilon scenes were filmed in the beautiful forests of the Canary Islands’ La Palma.

In season one, we will meet Eithné through the eyes of Ciri, a princess on the run played by young actress Freya Allan. Another familiar Dryad from the books, Braenn, appears to have been removed from the show and replaced with other minor dryads such as the Dryad General played by Nora Trokan.

Josette Simon on stage

A closeup of Eithné beautiful costume (made from wood and leaf-like materials) as seen in The Witcher’s costume exhibition at Lucca Comics and Games (image via badtaste.it)

Brokilon Forest will appear in the show’s fourth episode, titled “Of Banquets, Bastards and Funerals”. The Witcher‘s entire first season, consisting of eight hour-long episodes, releases on December 20.

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