Netflix's original series are, for the most part, pretty awesome whereas video game adaptations tend to be pretty lame, but perhaps combining the two will result in a series fans can be proud of. At least that's what Netflix is hoping with its adaptation of the blockbuster dark fantasy series, The Witcher.
'The Witcher'
The Witcher is a popular RPG series based on the dark fantasy novels of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series follows the adventures of professional monster hunter Geralt of Rivia as he navigates the twisted maze of politics and prejudice that make up Sapkowski's dark fantasy adventure.
A Faithful Adaptation
The series' author, who is no fan of the video game adaptations, has announced that he will serve as a creative consultant on the series.
"I'm thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories, staying true to the source material and the themes that I have spent over 30 years writing," said Sapkowski. "I'm excited about our efforts together, as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life."
Previously, it was rumored that a movie was in the works, but it appears that the shows' producers decided that a TV show would be a better fit for the literary series. Considering that the original books were an anthology of short stories, the choice to focus on TV does make sense.
Sean Daniel, who produces The Expanse and 2017's The Mummy, will be producing the show along with Jason Brown.
"The Witcher stories follow an unconventional family that comes together to fight for truth in a dangerous world," the two wrote in a press release. "The characters are original, funny, and constantly surprising and we can't wait to bring them to life on Netflix, the perfect home for innovative storytelling."
Ties To The Game
As previously mentioned, Sapkowski is no fan of The Witcher games, or video games in general, having admitted to never playing a video game in his life. That being said, it is safe to say we probably would not be talking about a Witcher TV show without CD Projekt Red's massively popular RPG series.
It is unlikely that the show will be based directly on the video games, but we do know that at least one team member will be involved. Tomasz Bagiński, the director of the trilogy's opening cinematics, will be directing at least one episode per season.
