The Witcher’s Showrunner Talks Fan Influence on Narrative

Netflix’s The Witcher doesn’t have any definitive release date, but it’s set to drop at some point this year. The show’s big information dump at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 means it’s likely to be relatively quiet for a bit, but there’s still more to parse through from the giant convention. For example, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich was asked about how fans interacting with her and the team influence the show, and her answer was relatively straightforward and honest: they do, but only at its most basic.

Speaking at a roundtable interview attended by ComicBook.com at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Hissrich noted that while fans will sometimes start the folks making the show thinking, there’s never a direct 1:1 influence.

“I think you come into a show, and certainly when I came in and I met with the writers on the first day, I had ways that I wanted to tell the stories,” Hissrich said. “Much like you do with a writer’s room, which is there’s nine of us in there, and my way isn’t always going to be the best way, and the sooner that I learn that the easiest it is to do my job.”

“There are definitely times where on Twitter people would point things out to me that I would say like, ‘Oh. Hmm, I hadn’t thought of it that way,’ and I would bring it back into the writer’s room, and it’s about not story driving itself, but to make sure that we were looking at all the different perspectives,” she continued. “I guess that’s the best way to put it.”

“Obviously there are trolls on Twitter,” Hissrich admitted. “There’s also a lot of people who just really care and [want] their opinions to get across, and that’s why I always chose to delve in and talk to people. If you were rude, if you were an asshole, then I would not talk to you, but if you just were concerned that I was going to mess up what you loved, hopefully I could be some reassurance for that.”

What do you think of Hissrich’s description of how the show and its narrative respond to fan interaction? Are you excited to see how the world of The Witcher is adapted into a television series? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

Here’s how Netflix describes the upcoming series on its press site:

“Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.”

Netflix’s The Witcher is scheduled to release its eight-episode first season on the streaming service at some point this year. Lauren S. Hissrich serves as showrunner. It stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, and Freya Allan as Ciri. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the upcoming adaptation right here.