Will Netflix's The Witcher Ever Cover Video Game Storylines?
Netflix's massively successful 2019 fantasy sensation "The Witcher" has already hit streaming gold with its two seasons and a third one on the way. The series is based on six novels and 15 short stories created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, which follows the trials and tribulations of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a superhuman "Witcher" who hunts and kills terrifying monsters that roam the mystical land. Sapkowski's novels have become incredibly popular and beloved, launching not only the video game series but the Netflix show as well.
Developed by CD Projekt Red, "The Witcher" video game series is a fantasy computer role-playing game. There are six total games in the series, including the main series, expansion packs, and spinoffs. The first main game in the series launched in 2007 titled "The Witcher," followed by 2011's "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings," and 2015's "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt." The expansion packs include 2015's "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Hearts of Stone," 2016's "Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine," and, lastly, a spinoff titled "Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales" from 2018. With an expansive list of content to adapt to the screen, some fans may be wondering if they will ever get to see the video game storylines covered on the Netflix series.
The Witcher showrunner says it won't happen
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, the showrunner behind "The Witcher," has publicly stated that the show will not adapt any of the video game storylines in the foreseeable future. As quoted by IGN, Hissrich stated on the "Netflix Behind the Scenes" podcast, "The answer [to why the show adapts the books] is very simple though and it's that the video games are based on the books. They are an adaptation of the books. For me, it didn't make sense to make an adaptation of an adaptation of something." The book series hosts enough original source material that Hissrich and the writers can draw from, further utilizing and expanding upon the world Sapkowski so richly created.
The hardcore fans of "The Witcher" video game series are probably itching to see some of the narratives incorporated into the actual show. However, Hissrich and her creative team have everything under control, possessing a rather clear vision of what's to come for Geralt, Ciri (Freya Allan), Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and the other host of inhabitants living in the fantastical realm of the Continent.