The Witcher is quickly becoming a huge franchise for Netflix. Alongside the main TV show there’s also now an anime movie, and a prequel show is in production. Beyond that, though, is something a little stranger: there are plans to make an animated Witcher show for children.
How exactly does that work? IGN spoke to The Witcher showrunner and Executive Producer, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, at a recent press event, and asked exactly how she plans to turn the mature universe into something kid-friendly.
“I think that's the most controversial thing that we have announced so far,” she said. “And it's not to say that we're going to take this universe, and then take out all of the blood, all of the sex, and all of the violence and then just present that back to children. To me, the thing that appealed the most in The Witcher, aside from the fact that it's a family, are all of the moral thematics that Sapkowski has in there. His short stories, for instance, are fairy tales. Fairy tales are also written for children. There is a way to adapt these themes and these stories, with different characters of course, that lay the foundation for the Witcher world.”
She also noted that, while the show will have a tone suitable for children, it will still include some of The Witcher’s more horrifying elements. “We're also not going to shy away from some of the more controversial parts of it,” she said. “We've talked a lot about how the Trail of the Grasses will feature in this, because we need it to. Without the Trial of the Grasses it's not The Witcher. So those are conversations that we're constantly having, but I know there's a way to do it."
The Trail of the Grasses is the first step in the process of becoming a Witcher, and involves a person drinking and being injected with mutagen elixirs. This can cause seizures, vomiting, and even death. Those that survived are mutated, with their eyes becoming cat-like.
For more from the world of Geralt of Rivia, check out our review of The Witcher season 2. We've also got Hissrich talking about The Wild Hunt and the seven season plan for the show.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Continue reading...
How exactly does that work? IGN spoke to The Witcher showrunner and Executive Producer, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, at a recent press event, and asked exactly how she plans to turn the mature universe into something kid-friendly.
“I think that's the most controversial thing that we have announced so far,” she said. “And it's not to say that we're going to take this universe, and then take out all of the blood, all of the sex, and all of the violence and then just present that back to children. To me, the thing that appealed the most in The Witcher, aside from the fact that it's a family, are all of the moral thematics that Sapkowski has in there. His short stories, for instance, are fairy tales. Fairy tales are also written for children. There is a way to adapt these themes and these stories, with different characters of course, that lay the foundation for the Witcher world.”
She also noted that, while the show will have a tone suitable for children, it will still include some of The Witcher’s more horrifying elements. “We're also not going to shy away from some of the more controversial parts of it,” she said. “We've talked a lot about how the Trail of the Grasses will feature in this, because we need it to. Without the Trial of the Grasses it's not The Witcher. So those are conversations that we're constantly having, but I know there's a way to do it."
The Trail of the Grasses is the first step in the process of becoming a Witcher, and involves a person drinking and being injected with mutagen elixirs. This can cause seizures, vomiting, and even death. Those that survived are mutated, with their eyes becoming cat-like.
For more from the world of Geralt of Rivia, check out our review of The Witcher season 2. We've also got Hissrich talking about The Wild Hunt and the seven season plan for the show.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Continue reading...