Geralt of Rivia will soon be coming to the big screen, as work begins on a film adaptation of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series. The announcement comes from Platige Image, which says it will be partnering with production company The Sean Daniel Company to bring Geralt's adventures worldwide sometime in 2017.
Details are scarce on what exactly the film will be about. Platige says in a press release it will star Geralt, the witcher, and be based on the short stories "The Witcher" and "Lesser Evil" from Sapkowski's collection The Last Wish, though the movie won't be a direct adaptation. The first film will serve as an introduction to Geralt's dark fantasy world, with the hope being that it will spawn a movie franchise. Thania St. John will be penning the script for the film, with Tomasz Baginski directing.
If nothing else, the people behind the project have some promising credentials. Thania St. John has written episodes for Grimm and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, two experiences that should prove useful when writing a movie about Sapkowski's monster- and magic-filled world. Baginski earned an Oscar nomination for his animated film The Cathedral in 2002, and The Sean Daniel Company is responsible for bringing The Mummy franchise to life.
Then, of course, there is Platige Image, which has previously worked in the world of the Witcher. The company is responsible for crafting CGI trailers for a number of video games, including Halo 5: Guardians and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
It's worth keeping in mind that this isn't the first time The Witcher has gotten the movie treatment. A Polish film simply titled The Witcher released in 2001 and is better off forgotten. No doubt, The Sean Daniel Company and Platige Image are looking to capitalize on the recent success of CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 game, which sold more than six million copies and received near-universal critical acclaim. The huge popularity of Game of Thrones is likely another factor, with Platige in its press release even mentioning that Sapkowski's saga has been compared to HBO's hit series.
No announcements regarding the film's cast have been made, but for fans who have (somehow) seen everything The Witcher 3 has to offer, this should be something to look forward to.
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