The Witcher Showrunner Reveals What Author Felt Was Most Important for Netflix Adaptation

Next month, The Witcher will see its long-awaited release on Netflix. The upcoming series, based on the books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, has quite a bit of hype surrounding it, thanks largely in part to the popularity of the video games. At a panel in Lucca, Italy, showrunner Lauren Hissrich discussed her conversations with Sapkowski, and revealed what was most critical to the author about bringing the world he created to life.

“Sapkowski told me what was important to him: to tell the story of three orphans looking for a place in the world, touching on topics such as sexism, xenophobia, racism, society’s difficulty in accepting what is different. Much of the original content from the books remains, full of spectacular fights, incredible adventures and monstrous creatures.”

The “three orphans” Hissrich referred to are Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), Princess Ciri (Freya Allen) and Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra). In the books, Ciri goes on the run after the Queen is killed and her Kingdom of Cintra is conquered by the Empire of Nilfgaard. As the story begins, Ciri finds herself in the care of the witcher Geralt, a genetically and magically mutated monster hunter. Alongside the sorceress (and Geralt’s former lover) Yennefer, Geralt attempts to protect the princess from the forces of Emperor Emhyr var Emreis. With her ability to cross space and time, Ciri becomes a target for a number of other dangerous individuals, leading the trio on a journey across an unnamed continent as a potential war between the countries looms in the background.

It’s easy to see why The Witcher could be Netflix’s next major hit. The Witcher franchise comprises multiple books, as well as video games and graphic novels, so there is seemingly a wealth of material for Hissrich and Netflix to draw from. With its fantastical setting, international politics and plenty of action, it will be interesting to see if The Witcher can fill the gap left since Game of Thrones concluded earlier this year. The series was initially conceived as a film, before Netflix settled on an eight episode season. Netflix clearly sees a lot of potential in the series, however, as a second season was announced earlier this month.

The Witcher will premiere on Netflix on December 20th. Are you excited for the series? What do you hope to see adapted in the show? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!