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The Witcher
The Witcher (Netflix)
Details
Type
TV series
Network
Netflix
Director(s)
Tomasz Bagiński (one of many)
Producer(s)
Executive producers:
Writer(s)
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
Consultant(s)
Andrzej Sapkowski (creative consultant)
Date
December 20, 2019
ā€œ
In this drama series, an unconventional family comes together to fight for truth in a dangerous world. Based on the globally popular fantasy saga.
ā€
~ Placeholder text on Netflix.com
ā€œ
The witcher Geralt, a mutated monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
ā€
~ Placeholder text on Netflix.com
  • Lauren S. Hissrich, executive producer, has hinted at some "dream casting" for the upcoming 8-episode series on Netflix. Each episode will be one hour long and Hissrich has already written a pilot. The series was tentatively set to premiere in 2020, but in the final trailer, the date was set to December 20, 2019.
  • On November 13, 2019, Netflix US posted in a Tweet, that the show would be renewed for a second season.
  • According to PC Gamer, the showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has material prepared for six more seasons.
  • The series will adapt the novels and shortstories.


Cast

Episodes

Each episode is structured episodically and contains several timelines. The first three episodes are mostly devoted to the introduction of the three main characters Geralt, Yennefer and Cirilla. Throughout the series, many of the details differ greatly from the books they are based on or have been supplemented.


  • Episode 1: The End's Beginning
Contains story parts of the short story "The Lesser Evil", Geralt and Ciri are introduced in separate timelines, Cintra is attacked and Ciri has to flee the Nilfgaardian invaders.[6]
  • Episode 2: Four Marks
Contains parts of the short story "The Edge of the World". Ciri's escape is continued. Yennefer's origin story is introduced.[7]
  • Episode 3: Betrayer Moon
Contains story parts of the short story "The Witcher". Triss is introduced as the counsellor of King Foltest. Yennefer agrees to her transformation by Giltine.[8]
  • Episode 4: Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials
Contains story parts of "A Question of Price".[9]
  • Episode 5: Bottled Appetites
Contains story parts of the short story "The Last Wish".[10]
  • Episode 6: Rare Species
Contains story parts of the short story "The Bounds of Reason".[11]
  • Episode 7: Before A Fall
Geralt returns before Cintra's Fall and demands to bring Ciri to safety. Calanthe agrees and tries to swap the princess with a commoner girl. Geralt is locked up in the gatehouse. Nilfgaard attacks. Yennefer is asked by Tissaia to return to Aretuza and joins a meeting of the mages. The fate of the Northern Kingdoms is discussed.[12]
  • Episode 8: Much More
Contains story parts of the short story "Something More". The mages fight against Nilfgaardian forces.[13]

Locations

Soundtrack

First season soundtrack for 8 episodes was composed by:

Rumors

Additional information

References

  1. ā†‘ Lauren Hissrich on Twitter
  2. ā†‘ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Lauren Hissrich on Twitter
  3. ā†‘ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Netflix on Facebook
  4. ā†‘ NX on Twitter
  5. ā†‘ NX on Twitter
  6. ā†‘ [1], Differences: Marilka appeared in the short stories as the daughter of alderman Caldemeyn, but the girl is probably only five years old, much younger than the girl in the show.
  7. ā†‘ While it's mentioned in the short story "The Last Wish" that Yennefer once was a hunchback, it's never fleshed out, when and how she became a sorceress. She remembered in a trance how her father maltreated and finally, even her mother disdained her for her physical disabilities. (Source: "The Tower of the Swallow"). Before the end in "The Lady of the Lake", she has another memory about almost taking her own life, and when Tissaia de Vries helped her become a powerful sorceress. This was adapted into the series.
  8. ā†‘ Differences: Triss doesn't appear in the original short story "The Witcher". The character Velerad (Burgomeister of Vizima) doesn't appear in the series, although Geralt has a long talk with him in the story about the Striga and the events in Vizima. Giltine is a made-up character for the show. Priestess Nenneke mentions in the The Voice of Reason 6 episodes, that Yennefer has "withered ovaries" like most magic users (please, add the source!), but it is never mentioned she had, like in the show presented, an hysterectomy. Sterilisation, on the other hand, is something which is propagated by Tissaia de Vries ā†’ The Poisoned Source.
  9. ā†‘ Differences: Jaskier asks Geralt to join him as a "bodyguard" to the festivities in Cintra. In the short story, Dandelion doesn't appear. Also, in the short story, Geralt was invited by Queen Calanthe to join the banquet to solve a delicate matter for her. It is revealed later, that she planned to use Geralt to get rid off the Urcheon of Erlenwald, so Cintra could create a bond with Skellige.
  10. ā†‘ Differences: Beau Berrant, who is a trade broker and ambassador in the short story, is changed into the mayor of Rinde. In the short story, Geralt never was actively fishing for a Djinni, he and Dandelion did so by chance while trying to catch a fish. Geralt in the short story also didn't suffer from insomnia - the reason, why he is looking for a Djinn in the show. In the short story, Countess de Stael is not mentioned, but a woman named Virginia. Geralt's first wish in the show is that he wants some peace (Jaskier should just shut up!) - in the short story, Geralt performs an "exorcism" and wishes the Djinn should go and fuck itself because the Djinn angrily attacks Dandelion. Chireadan is a healer in the show, but in the short story, he is a tavern owner and with him are his cousin Errdil and half-elf knight Vratimir (both don't appear in the show). When they arrive where Yennefer lives, there is no orgy happening in the short story, but Yennefer is alone in the bedchamber. He and Yennefer also don't take a bath together in the book. The character Dara was completely made up. The story with Ciri in the Brokilon happens much earlier before the Fall of Cintra and she not only meets Dryads but also Geralt - who again decides to better leave her with Moussack and Calanthe.
  11. ā†‘ Differences: In the short story, Dandelion appears much later when Geralt got more familiar with Borch and his two weapons. In the Episode Rare Species, Dandelion is waiting right outside the monster's den. In the Netflix-Adaptation, the characters of Dorregaray, Sheepbagger, Gyllenstiern, the young King Niedamir and others were not considered and don't appear in the show. Cahir didn't send a Doppler with the likeness of Moussack after Ciri. It is never mentioned that Nilfgaardian mages would use "black or forbidden magic" like shown in the show - only that Emhyr hates magic users and tries to keep them under control. In the novels, it was never mentioned that Fringilla even attended Aretuza, Yennefer only recognises her during a meeting of the Lodge because Fringilla was the one who blinded her during the Battle of Sodden Hill.
  12. ā†‘ Differences: The "Fake Ciri" was introduced much later in the novels and definitely NOT by Queen Calanthe, but by Codringher and Fenn. Although, in a flashback of Geralt in the short story "Something More", Calanthe tried to talk Geralt into taking just a child from the ten children she presented to him. One main difference in the TV-Show is, that Geralt was in Cintra when Nilfgaard attacked, in the short story "Something More", he is just riding to Cintra, but the city already had fallen. Also in this short story, he hears about the terrible end of Cintra by his friend Dandelion, who is among the war refugees.
  13. ā†‘ In the short story, we only read quite a short version told by Yurga about the Battle of Sodden Hill, before Geralt visits the monument. Geralt was in the north when the battle happened.

External links


Videos

A screen test of Henry Cavill as Geralt.

The official teaser trailer from June 20, 2019.


The creation of Kaer Morhen, by Torpedo Pictures, Canada: Kaer Morhen, edit: Torpedo Pictures on Vimeo More: Torpedo Pictures on Vimeo