Joey Batey is best known for playing the lovable bard Jaskier on Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Witcher, but now he'll soon be known for something else as the actor has written a folk horror novel soon to be published by Raven Books.
According to The Bookseller, his debut novel is titled It's Not a Cult and is set to be released this September.
What's the story about? It follows a small three-member band who mostly sing about "fictional northern gods of small things, mishap and mayhem."
Without even having an official band name, the group doesn't have many fans, usually playing at small venues and not even hitting 100 viewers during their livestreams. But when an act of violence occurs at a pub and causes them to go viral, they "suddenly gain an all-too-literal cult following."
The plot sounds a little bit like the movie Green Room meets The Ritual by Adam Nevill.
Senior editor Therese Keating acquired the book, nothing that it has "everything" she loves in a book, including "a ton of heart" and wit.
As for Batey, in a statement he said that he wrote this book as an ode "to the gods of wild nights, woeful decisions, and really rubbish pub bands."
Fans of Batey might already know that the actor is also a musician and singer in real life just like he is on The Witcher. The book likely borrows a little inspiration from his real life, as the English star is in a folk band called The Amazing Devil, first formed in 2015. They have released three albums.
The Witcher was renewed for a fourth and fifth season to wrap up the show after its third season debuted in 2023. Filming is currently ongoing with Batey returning as Jaskier alongside Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan as Yennefer and Ciri. Liam Hemsworth is stepping into the role of Geralt after Henry Cavill exited the series following the third season.
Netflix chose to film seasons 4 and 5 back-to-back with filming on season 4 already completed. Season 5 filming is ongoing and the fourth season is expected to premiere on the streaming service at some point later this year.
Batey most recently reprised his role as Jaskier in the animated film The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, now streaming on Netflix.