Netflix announced Wednesday that it’ll be adapting “The Witcher” — the internationally popular book and video game franchise — into an English language drama series.
“The Witcher Saga” began as a series of fantasy novels written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. His series has since been translated into more than 20 languages. The stories normally follow Geralt of Rivia, a witcher (mutated monster hunter). As of now, the main series consists of five novels, several short stories and one standalone book.
There are also three “Witcher” video games, based on the book series and developed by CD Projekt Red, a Polish video game studio. The most recent game, “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” was released in 2015 and met with widespread praise.
Both the books and the games revolve around the relationship between Geralt and Ciri, a princess and witcher-in-training.
“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,” Sapkowski said in a statement. “I’m excited about our efforts together, as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life.”
The stories showcase many familiar fantasy elements such as vampires, elves, ghosts, dragons and more.
“Andrzej Sapkowski has created a rich and memorable world, at once magical and familiar,” said Erik Barmack, Netflix Vice President of international series. “We couldn’t be more excited about bringing The Witcher saga to Netflix members around the world.”
Sapkowski will serve as a creative consultant on the series. Sean Daniel (The Mummy) and Jason Brown (The Expanse) are executive producers, along with Tomek Baginski and Jarek Sawko, who are from Platige Image, a Polisy production company.
“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,” Baginski and Sawko said.
A premiere date has not yet been announced.
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