‘The Witcher’ Showrunner Reveals Book Source Material

The release of Netflix’s highly anticipated dark fantasy series "The Witcher" grows ever-closer. With early reviews already touting it as a “Game of Thrones” contender, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich’s show is expected to be an expert rendition of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Polish “The Witcher” book series.

On the nature of this very rendering, Schmidt talked with CinemaBlend to reveal which story she used to kickstart the show and which is her own personal favorite.

According to the showrunner, Netflix’s “The Witcher” Season 1 will focus primarily on Sapkowski’s short story compilation “The Last Wish,” which examines the backstory of Geralt and his eventual acquaintance with both Princess Ciri and the sorceress Yennefer.

“The series opens up on ‘The Lesser Evil,’ which was my personal favorite story,” said Hissrich. “I didn’t choose to start the series with it because it was my favorite, but that just was lucky.”

Hissrich's reveal means the show may not follow the books in the order they were released. Though “Blood of Elves” is technically the first entry in “The Witcher” book series, “The Last Wish” and “Sword of Destiny” predate those events. Both are mere short story collections that jump between moments, showcasing the underlying history of Geralt and his monster hunting prowess.

“The Lesser Evil,” specifically, discloses the nature of Geralt’s nickname, The Butcher of Blaviken. Geralt also meets key figures in the short story, such as Stregobor, a mage with a particularly twisted set of principles, and Renfri, a princess turned brutal mercenary who has a lasting impact on Geralt’s overall character.

At the core of Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” books is an inward study of humanity juxtaposed by the beasts and evils that Geralt must overcome. Hissrich has repeatedly stated that this template won’t be changed, though some alterations for the show were in order, such as a reevaluating the roles of Yennefer and Ciri, who unlike in “The Witcher” books, will be far more front and center in the Netflix series.

Hissrich continued to CinemaBlend, “When you’re choosing a story to sort of kick-off an entire series, for me, Geralt really rises to the top in episode 1…So, what you’re looking for when choosing which story to go with, you’re looking for an event that’s going to change his journey. You’re looking for something that’s going to make him question everything that’s happened before in his life. And that’s why I chose ‘The Lesser Evil.’”

“The Witcher” begins monster hunting on Dec. 20 on Netflix.