“How can you take eight novels and turn them into a movie?” : Netflix had a drastically different plan for The Witcher

The Witcher captivated fans from the start with its main character, Geralt of Rivia, an epitome of heroic fantasy recognizable to thousands with his white mane and yellow eyes.

However, it seems that Netflix did not expect the series to be so successful. Indeed, during the first discussions on the project, the directors of the firm au N rouge proposed to shoot one film.

The series is so successful today that it’s hard to imagine it ever being made into a standalone film. In 2017, the streaming giant is in talks to make a feature film based on the books of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

But Kelly Lugenbühl, Netflix’s creative vice president of international series, knew the books had complex characters and plots. Therefore, he asked his colleagues to consider turning the project into a series.

“How can you take eight novels and turn them into a movie?Kelly Lugenbihle recalls asking that question during the discussions, as she famously did Publishers Weekly.

And let’s continue:“There is a lot of material. We can do many things. As the talks progressed, the producers were quite excited about using the source material for a longer series.“

It’s a good decision

Seen from this perspective, it’s interesting to think about how The Witcher would have been received had the project actually been made as a feature film. And I wonder what it would be like. Of course, the breadth of the series and its characters would not be possible in one film, but the idea is still intriguing.

When Netflix executives came up with the idea of ​​making a The Witcher movie, they didn’t really know the huge potential of the brand. And this, despite the great success of the books and video games. And obviously, they didn’t immediately imagine that The Witcher brand would lead to spin-offs.

There is currently an animated film The Witcher: The Wolf’s Nightmare and spin-off series The Witcher: Legacy of Blood with Michelle Yeoh. Another animated film is in development and a spin-off series aimed at young adults is in the works.

Season 3 of The Witcher – the last with Henry Cavill – is expected on Netflix in 2023.