‘The Witcher’ Showrunner Leaves the Fate of the Series up to Andrzej Sapkowski: ‘I Just Don’t Feel the Need for Us to Keep Creating Stories’
Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich confirms the future fate of The Witcher series. On both occasions, The Witcher was renewed for the following season before its premiere on Netflix. The characters and storylines in The Witcher are an adaption of Andrzej Sapkowski’s popular book series of the same name and video games. Hissrich reveals the longevity of the Netflix series will come to a close when Sapkowski decides to end the story.
The Netflix series was first a popular book series and video game
The Witcher generated a buzz when Netflix announced the series was in production with Henry Cavill as Geralt. The subject matter had a developed fan base. After entering a short story for a science fiction competition, Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski started The Witcher book series in the late ’80s.
The collection is made up of 15 short stories and six books by Sapkowski. The popular storylines and the main character, Geralt of Rivia, were translated into multiple languages. Sapkowski’s work is also an equally popular video game series.
Sapkowski’s work developed an immense fan base that was hesitant to see it come to life on screen. The Witcher and The Witcher Season 2 have garnered success. But Hissrich explains to TheWire there is a definite end to the Netflix series.
‘The Witcher’ series and its longevity is up to its original creator Andrzej Sapkowski
It is not unheard of for a popular series based on written source material to develop a continuing storyline after its initial end. Hissrich confirms they will continue The Witcher for as long as it takes to adapt all of Sapkowski’s books. But the showrunner explains there will be a definite end in the future.
“I have always said that I want to end our stories at the same place that Andrzej Sapkowski ended his,” said Hissrich. She feels there is no need to create a separate or continuing storyline than what Sapkowski has or will create.
The Witcher and its future depend on Sapkowski. “I just don’t feel the need for us to keep creating stories after his intentional end. The funny thing is, of course, since we have been working on the series, he’s actually released two new books. We’re trying to be a little flexible with it,” said the showrunner.
Hissrich does explain there is a lot to explore with the franchise. Netflix announced the animated prequel movie The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and the prequel short series The Witcher: Blood Origin. The spinoffs allow for “ways for us to continue telling Sapkowski’s stories without taking the attention away from the main storytelling of the mothership.”
Fans can look forward to Netflix’s The Witcher to continue for more seasons based on the stories in the books.
What is in store for ‘The Witcher’ Season 3?
In her interview with TheWire, Hissrich gave fans a small tidbit about the series’ future storylines. The Witcher Season 3 was greenlit by Netflix before the second season’s premiere. The new season will adapt the storyline from the Time of Contempt book.
Hissrich explains the book is easily adaptable for the small-screen and will have a lot of action and jaw-dropping moments. “Season 3, for instance takes place on a very, very small timeline. Not a lot of time passes, because it doesn’t need to,” said the showrunner. The Witcher Season 2 revealed many new revelations and a shocking reveal in the finale.
Seeing as Sapkowski wrote a total of six books so far, fans could be in for three more seasons of The Witcher.
