Netflix's The Witcher is heading into its final seasons, and not all fans are happy. With Liam Hemsworth taking over as Geralt from Henry Cavill in Season 4, some viewers have criticized the show for straying from Andrzej Sapkowski's beloved books. But showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich wants fans to remember that there’s more than one way to enjoy The Witcher.
"One of the things that I've talked a lot to the author about and a lot to fans about is that the books still exist. No one is taking the books away. No one is taking the video games away," she said, talking to Dexerto.
Hissrich also stressed that the Netflix series will not make the same mistakes as the Game of Thrones adaptation. "We lucked out because I said very early on, 'We're not going to go past the books,'" she explained. Seasons 4 and 5, filmed back-to-back, will adapt the final three novels: Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake. Geralt's origin story was explored in Crossroads of Ravens, which was released back in late September.
"We lean so hardcore into fantasy at the end in wonderful ways that Sapkowski introduced us to. So we knew the stories that we needed to end with," she added.
The showrunner acknowledged the challenges of balancing fans of the books, the video games, and new viewers who discovered the world through the Netflix show. "You have book fans, you have video game fans, and then you have fans that knew nothing about this world until the show existed. The truth is, we can't choose one audience," she said.
The Witcher video games, developed by CD Projekt Red, have been hugely influential, offering players a richly detailed world and an alternate take on Geralt’s adventures that differ from both the books and the show.
Hissrich framed the Netflix series as one version of a larger universe. "I think everyone can have their version of The Witcher, and this is this version," she said. Season 4 premiered on October 30, while fans can continue to explore Geralt’s story in Sapkowski’s novels or through the critically acclaimed Witcher games, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which many consider a modern gaming masterpiece.
While we're still a few years away from The Witcher 4, the footage that has been released so far looked really impressive.
Source
"One of the things that I've talked a lot to the author about and a lot to fans about is that the books still exist. No one is taking the books away. No one is taking the video games away," she said, talking to Dexerto.
Hissrich also stressed that the Netflix series will not make the same mistakes as the Game of Thrones adaptation. "We lucked out because I said very early on, 'We're not going to go past the books,'" she explained. Seasons 4 and 5, filmed back-to-back, will adapt the final three novels: Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake. Geralt's origin story was explored in Crossroads of Ravens, which was released back in late September.
"We lean so hardcore into fantasy at the end in wonderful ways that Sapkowski introduced us to. So we knew the stories that we needed to end with," she added.
The showrunner acknowledged the challenges of balancing fans of the books, the video games, and new viewers who discovered the world through the Netflix show. "You have book fans, you have video game fans, and then you have fans that knew nothing about this world until the show existed. The truth is, we can't choose one audience," she said.
The Witcher video games, developed by CD Projekt Red, have been hugely influential, offering players a richly detailed world and an alternate take on Geralt’s adventures that differ from both the books and the show.
Hissrich framed the Netflix series as one version of a larger universe. "I think everyone can have their version of The Witcher, and this is this version," she said. Season 4 premiered on October 30, while fans can continue to explore Geralt’s story in Sapkowski’s novels or through the critically acclaimed Witcher games, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which many consider a modern gaming masterpiece.
While we're still a few years away from The Witcher 4, the footage that has been released so far looked really impressive.
Source