The Witcher, a high fantasy series based on the popular novels by Andrzej Sapkowski is soon going to be released on Netflix on December 20, 2019. Starring Henry Cavill in the titular role, it is a sprawling epic fantasy that takes place in a medieval set world where struggles between humans and magical creatures give rise to conflicts. The show will have eight episodes for its first season.
The Witcher has a very expansive universe centered on Geralt of Rivia, a mutant and Ciri, who is a princess and child destined for a greater future. Andrzej has also written short stories about characters who appear in the books, and stand-alone novels detailing the magical world.
The three central characters of the series are:
Geralt of Rivia, also known as the Witcher, the White Wolf. The Witchers, formed through alchemical transformation, are mutants with superhuman strength, and ability to conjure magic. They consume vials of potions regularly which alters their bodies making them more resilient to the physical threats presented by the antagonistic world. They’re despised by the general population because of their appearance and feared because of their power. A major theme that runs through Geralt’s storyline is Destiny, and its meaning for people.
Yennefer (played by Anya Chalotra), born with a hunchback, is abused by her father, who hates her deformity and blames her mother as the reason of their misery. Her journey begins as an oppressed child, to a powerful, magic wielding sorceress.
Ciri (or Cirilla), played by (Freya Allan)a young princess, who watches her family slaughtered and then goes on a journey in which she makes wondrous and scary discoveries.
The epic fantasy is being compared to Game of Thrones, because of its lush visuals and violence. The show is being mounted on a large scale, and the trailer features ingenious world building, which has also taken inspiration from the appearance of characters in the video games. The tagline of the show is “The worst monsters are the ones we create”.
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, the creator of the show, revealed that the episodes have been adapted from short stories, and the narrative will connect the characters in surprising ways that’ll encourage the readers of the books, and the newcomers. She has also mentioned that Andrzej is a consultant on the show and approved of the changes they made to his stories for them to make sense visually.
Henry Cavill, known as Superman to the wider world, has shared his own thoughts about his character, stating that even though Geralt is stoic in nature, he has a deep well of emotions that he gradually reveals to the other characters. Henry did all the stunts for the show, and it is impressive because the trailer shows Geralt in a lot of situations that needed a lot of strenuous training. Henry’s look in the trailer has been praised on social media, with many commenting positively on his physique, which fits the character. He has also stressed that the show won’t be treating Geralt as a hero without any flaws, and that every character will have nuanced storyline.
With a large fan-base that already exists because of the books and video games, the live action show has a lot of expectations to meet. But, it seems the creators, and Netflix especially are satisfied, and confident about their product because The Witcher was approved for a second season last month.