Netflix Plans ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ Limited Series
by Erik Amaya
For Witcher fans hungry for more story, Netflix plans to offer them something not covered in the novels, games, or television series: the origin of the Witchers themselves.
Netflix announced Monday a new six-part, live action limited series called The Witcher: Blood Origin. Set 1200 before Geralt of Rivia’s (Henry Cavil) walk across the Continent, the series will focus on the very first Witcher, who emerges in the Elven realm as events lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres;” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.
The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich will be as an executive producer while Declan de Barra will serve as showrunner on Blood Origin. Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski will also serve as creative consultant on the series.
“A question has been burning in my mind ever since I first read The Witcher books – What was the Elven world really like before the cataclysmic arrival of the humans? I’ve always been fascinated by the rise and fall of civilizations, how science, discovery, and culture flourish right before that fall,” de Barra said in a statement. “How vast swathes of knowledge are lost forever in such a short time, often compounded by colonization and a rewriting of history. Leaving only fragments of a civilization’s true story behind. The Witcher: Blood Origin will tell the tale of the Elven civilization before its fall, and most importantly reveal the forgotten history of the very first Witcher.”
“It’s an exciting challenge to explore and expand The Witcher universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, and we can’t wait to introduce fans to new characters and an original story that will enrich our magical, mythical world even more,” added Hissrich.
And ever the pragmatist, Sapkowski offered a statement revealing what truly matters to him: “It is exciting that the world of Witcher – as planned in the very beginning – is expanding. I hope it will bring more fans to the world of my books.”
The Witcher will be produced in the UK, presumably once it is safe to do so.
