Game of Thrones’ Tormund Giantsbane might join The Witcher season 2

By Rick Marshall Published February 18, 2020

Cameras are currently rolling on The Witcher season 2, and more details about who will be joining the Netflix series during its second story arc are beginning to emerge.

The latest report indicates that a fan-favorite Game of Thrones actor, Kristofer Hivju, could be joining the show in a key role. Hivju portrayed Tormund Giantsbane in the wildly popular HBO series, and will reportedly play the cursed nobleman Nivellen in the second season of The Witcher.

Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) Helen Sloan/HBO

According to The Witcher news site Redanian Intelligence, Hivju was cast as “Nigel,” a character described as “a charismatic, witty, and funny man [who is] from an aristocratic family and has been cursed for the crimes he has committed in the past.” The report — which remains unconfirmed by Netflix and therefore entirely unofficial at this point — indicates that “Nigel” is being used as a code name for Nivellen in order to keep the stories being adapted for the new season a secret.

If the report proves true, Hivju’s role will be linked to The Witcher novelist Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story A Grain of Truth, part of his prequel novel The Last Wish. In the story, Geralt encounters a man, Nivellen, who is cursed with a bestial form and inhabits an old, crumbling manor. In an obvious nod to the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Nivellen’s efforts to remove his curse have involved a succession of beautiful women living with him, to no avail.

Hivju’s role in The Witcher will reportedly be part of season 2’s early episodes, with Geralt encountering Nigel / Nivellen in one of the first few episodes of the season.

The Game of Thrones actor is the latest in a series of new cast members joining the series for its second season, with Peaky Blinders and The Bastard Executioner actor Paul Bullion and Strike Back actor Yasen Atour both reportedly playing fellow witchers in the upcoming season. Bullion is rumored to be playing Lambert, a witcher from the same School of the Wolf where Geralt received his training, while Atour will play Coën, a lesser-known witcher hailing from the School of the Griffin.

There’s no official premiere date set for season 2 of The Witcher on Netflix yet.

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