Netflix has confirmed plans to develop an English-language TV series based on The Witcher book series
In a surprise announcement, Netflix revealed that it was working with Polish movie studio Platige Image to produce a Witcher drama series. The Netflix show would be based on The Witcher series of books written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, whose works have already spawned a film, a TV series, a graphic novel series – as well as a critically acclaimed video game franchise.
“Andrzej Sapkowski has created a rich and memorable world, at once magical and familiar,” said Erik Barmack, VP of International Series for Netflix. “We couldn’t be more excited about bringing it to Netflix members around the world.”
The Witcher storyline follows Gerald of Rivia, who is a Witcher, a type of monster hunter who develops supernatural abilities at a young age, and who travels the world peddling his services to those in need – and those with sufficient coin.
The Witcher books have been immensely popular, as has the video game franchise. The last entry to the franchise was The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which was released on May 19, 2015 and had shipped nearly 10 million copies worldwide by March the next year. And in March 2017, Witcher game studio CD Projekt Red confirmed that over 25 million copies of Witcher games had been sold globally.
Both the Witcher 3 game and its ‘Blood and Wine’ expansion were awarded numerous ‘Game of the Year’ awards, with the game universally praised for its compelling storyline, huge scope, and realistic universe.
Speaking about the Netflix news, Sapkowski said: “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 thirty years writing.”
He added: “I’m excited about our efforts together, as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life.”
Netflix has confirmed that Sean Daniel (The Mummy, Ben-Hur, The Expanse) and Jason Brown (The Expanse) will be executive producers on the show. They said: “The Witcher stories follow an unconventional family that comes together to fight for truth in a dangerous world. The characters are original, funny and constantly surprising and we can’t wait to bring them to life at Netflix, the perfect home for innovative storytelling.”
Daniel and Brown’s production team will also be joined by Tomek Baginski (The Cathedral, The Fallen Art, Ambition) and Jarek Sawko (The Fallen Art, Another Day of Life), both of whom work for Platige Image.
Baginski and Sawko said: “There is a moral and intellectual depth in these books which goes beyond genre. It is a story about today and today’s challenges, hidden under a fantasy cover. It is a story about us, about the monster and the hero inside all of our hearts.”
Needless to say there’s plenty of excitement from fans over the announcement:
Alongside a hearty helping of trepidation:
There is currently no public air date for the TV series. However, a film series with the same production team was previously mooted for a 2017 release, so we wouldn’t rule out a release before the end of 2018.
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Who would you like to see cast in the new Witcher TV series? Let us know in the comments.