Game series "The Witcher" is getting a movie adaptation with a 2017 theater date, as per press release. It looks like the project will be the start to a potential series for the big and small screen.
Per Screen Rant, "The Witcher" series is most popular for its video games in North America, but not too many people know that Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski originally created the stories in his books and short stories. His novels follows monster-hunting witcher named Geralt of Rivia, who lives in a world known only as The Continent.
Geralt also carries an unusual gift as he exhibits superhuman abilities. He can move and survive between human and mystical worlds.
The Sean Daniel Company teamed with Platige Films to bring Sapkowski's story to the screen, and both companies already have track records for doing movie and TV productions. The Sean Daniel Company is behind "The Mummy" franchise and is also the producer for the upcoming sci-fi television series "The Expanse." Platige is in the middle of developing "Another Day of Life," an animated film based on the book with the same name.
IGN reported that Tomasz Bagiński is tasked to direct movie, while Thania St. John will be penning the script. Bagiński earned an Oscar nomination as a short film director for "The Guardian" and has worked for "The Witcher" video games as its cinematographer. He's also Platige's creative director. On the other hand, St. John has written for shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Grimm" and "Chicago Fire."
Screen Rant additionally reported that this is not the first time the character of Geralt was adapted for the movies. A film called "Hexer" was produced back in 2001 in Poland. However, this will definitely be the first time "The Witcher" is getting a Hollywood distribution.
PC Gamer noted that the upcoming film is not going to follow storylines from the games, but the possibility of a tie-in with the game should make it more interesting. "The Witcher" will actually pick plots from the novel's "Last Wish" collection, which has been listed in the New York Times' bestseller list.
A television show is expected to be produced after the movie's release, if and when it becomes a success. The story of "The Witcher" is said to closely resemble the theme and tone of the popular HBO series "Game of Thones," the press release stated.
Details regarding the casting for "The Witcher" are still unavailable, but keep checking this site for more updates.
