earlier this year, The Witcher Fans were quite shocked when it was announced that Liam Hemsworth would replace Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. But as huge as this change is, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich doesn’t think it will detract from the momentum this show has gained.
“You know, I’m going to say that change is also energy,” Hissrich told Decider during a press day for next week The Witcher: Origin of the Blood. “Change also brings other energies with it. So for us, that’s just part of moving further into this franchise.”
Speaking of this franchise, The Witcher has become one of the most extensive in Netflix’s arsenal. The main series has already been renewed through Season 4, and origin of the blood will exist as a prequel miniseries, telling the story of the continent’s first witcher. Add the animated film about Vesemir with the title The Witcher: The Wolf’s Nightmarethe other announced animated film, and the upcoming family-friendly animated series and The Witcher The universe has turned into its own mini empire.
When it comes to developing this universe, which includes live-action, animation, documentaries, drama, miniseries, and kid-friendly entertainment, Hissrich tries to keep in mind that this vast universe shouldn’t be limiting. “One of the things we really believe in – I know Declan [de Barra] also believes – is that fantasy is actually something for everyone. There were moments in the story when it was a very narrow audience. I think all these different entry points, if you will, just make people fall more in love with the genre, which is what we want,” Hissrich said. “It’s interesting because could there be fatigue? Actually I don’t think so. I think the stories are so rich and also so diverse and I think there are so many different ways into the world that we could go on with this forever and never run out of stories.”