‘The Witcher’ Was Conceived as a Single Movie for Netflix
The Witcher has captivated fans with its well-paced character-building and converging storylines. And with season 3 on the way, it remains one of Netflix’s most popular shows.
However, it seems the streamer didn’t expect the series to become as successful as it did. Because, in early discussions about the project, Netflix executives suggested making The Witcher a single movie.
‘The Witcher’ is based on a series of books
Many fans may know the concept of The Witcher from the popular video game series. And while the Netflix project shares similarities with the games, both the game and show are actually based on an eight-book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.
Sapkowski’s third installment of The Witcher Saga, The Last Wish, was released in 1993. A collection of seven short stories, it follows the titular hero, Geralt of Rivia, through different adventures.
Season 1 of Netflix’s The Witcher, which was produced and written by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, sets up some of the storylines from The Last Wish. The second season is loosely based on Blood of Elves — Sapkowski’s fourth installment (but the first novel) of the series.
The show stars Henry Cavill as Geralt, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, and Freya Allan as Ciri. Like the books, it follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a powerful Witcher who uses his magic, smarts, and strength to defeat monsters and other evil forces.
Netflix initially planned to make ‘The Witcher’ a movie
The Witcher series has been so successful that it’s hard to imagine it was once conceived as a standalone movie. In 2017, the streaming giant was in talks to create a feature-length film based on Sapkowski’s books.
But Kelly Luegenbiehl, Netflix’s Vice President of Creative for International Originals, knew the books featured complex characters and storylines. So she told her colleagues to consider making the project a series.
“‘How can you take eight novels and just turn it into a film?'” Luegenbiehl recalled asking during discussions, as reported by Publishers Weekly. “‘There’s so much material here. There’s so much that you can do.’ Through a number of conversations, the producers got really excited about the idea of using the source material for a longer-running series.”
While the plans eventually fell through, it’s interesting to consider how the series might have been different had it been made as a movie. It’s safe to say the epic scope of the series and its characters wouldn’t have been possible in one film, but the idea is still intriguing.
Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ spawned a spinoff
When Netflix executives pitched the idea of making The Witcher a movie, they didn’t realize how successful it would become as a series. And they surely never imagined that the shoe would spawn spinoffs.
In August 2021, just months before The Witcher Season 2 premiered, Netflix released the animated film, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. The spinoff tells the story of Geralt’s fellow witcher, mentor, and friend, Vesemir (Theo James).
In December 2022, Netflix premiered The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel to The Witcher adapted from Sapkowski’s stories. The four-episode limited series details the creation of the first Witcher and is told through Geralt’s friend Jaskier (Joey Batey).
Another spinoff, The Rats (the working title) is currently in production. It will follow the adventures of a group of Nilfgaardian renegades in Ciri’s orbit.
The Witcher Season 3 is scheduled for a 2023 release. It will serve as Cavill’s final season as Geralt of Rivia. The first two seasons of the series and its spinoffs are available to stream on Netflix.
