The Witcher Showrunner Explains Why They Cut Some of Geralt’s Dialogue

One of the more popular memes coming out of Netflix’s The Witcher is Geralt’s constant use of hmm and f*** throughout the series, and overall Geralt tends to keep his words to a minimum if he can help it. That’s actually something more in line with the hit games than the books, as in the original novels he is at times quite chatty. Recently Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich spoke to fans as part of a Reddit AMA, and during the event, she was asked about Geralt trading words in the books but not so much in the show, and why that was changed. This is what she had to say.

“Geralt is incredibly talkative in the books,” Hissrich said. “It worked a lot of the time for me, but I do remember reading Voice of Reason and thinking, “At some point, wouldn’t lola ignore her vow of silence and tell him to stop talking so much?”

It also turns out that Henry Cavill did actually speak more as Geralt in the initial version of the first episode, but after some thought, they decided to reign it in a bit.

“In the first episode, Geralt did speak a lot,” Hissrich said. “We ended up cutting a lot of his dialogue because once we had it on its feet, it didn’t feel real, or how a person would actually talk. Henry and I worked intensely together to make sure he seems incredibly smart, still has his dry wit, and can still hold his own with Calanthe and others — but also like he seems like a person who doesn’t always want to be a part of the conversation, or to let others into his every thought.”

You can find the official description for Netflix‘s The Witcher below.

“Based on the best-selling fantasy series of books, 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,” Netflix said. “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.”

Henry Cavill (Geralt of Rivia), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), Freya Allan (Ciri), Jodhi May (Calanthe), Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Eist), Adam Levy (Mousesack), MyAnna Buring (Tissaia), Mimi Ndiweni (Fringilla), Therica Wilson-Read (Sabrina), Emma Appleton (Renfri), Eamon Farren (Cahir), Joey Batey (Jaskier), Lars Mikkelsen (Stregobor), Royce Pierreson (Istredd), Maciej Musiał (Sir Lazlo), Wilson Radjou-Pujalte (Dara), and Anna Shaffer as Triss.

The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix now, and you can check out more from our Witcher coverage right here. You can also hit me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB for all things Witcher!