The Witcher: The Movie Planned For 2017 Release

[Steven Bogos]

The Witcher: The Movie Planned For 2017 Release

The Witcher will be the first in a series of movies based on The Witcher book series.

norm [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/the%20witcher%203%20wild%20hunt?os=the+witcher+3+wild+hunt] with big video game franchises, The Witcher is getting its own movie and TV series, which will kick off in 2017 with a flick based on two Witcher short stories.

Reportedly, The Witcher video game developer CD Projekt Red will have nothing to do with the movie, which is being produced by Platige Film - the folks behind The Mummy film franchise. Platige Image - Platige Film's parent company - is also responsible for all of the incredible cinematics from all three Witcher games, and the film's director - Tomek Baginski - directed the intro cinematic for The Witcher 2.

The two stories the first movie will be based on are The Witcher (1986) and The Lesser Evil. The Witcher (1986) was the very first story written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and follows Geralt as he takes on a contract to confront a monster risen from the double-coffin of a mother and daughter who died in childbirth several years before. The Lesser Evil concerns Renfri, a cursed daughter of nobility described as a brutal Snow White.

Veteran writer Thania St. John, who recently wrote for TV series Grimm, will work on the script as well as the TV and film follow-ups.

Usually, video game-to-movie efforts are... well, not great, but this time it looks like they are looking at the source material and building the film's base on that. The Witcher video games had incredible cutscenes, so I've no doubt that Baginski can put together an awesome film. If nothing else, it will have plenty of blood, gore, and nudity.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-11-05-witcher-feature-film-planned-for-2017-will-begin-a-series]

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[Zhukov]

That's... interesting?

Kinda struggling to see what will distinguish this from any other fantasy nerd-bait pablum.

My expectations are currently sitting at around Seventh Son, or that recent Vin Diesel Last Witch Hunter thing.

 

[Bat Vader]

Instead of a movie I would prefer if they gave it to HBO to make a TV show out of it. It's basically the Polish version of Game of Thrones just with more fantasy and monsters in it.

 

[Fox12]

Instead of a movie I would prefer if they gave it to HBO to make a TV show out of it. It's basically the Polish version of Game of Thrones just with more fantasy and monsters in it.

Yeah, it's strange that they would make this a film when the short stories would fit a television format better. Use that to introduce the character, then build a film around one of the novels.

Was the first story the one with the incest vampire in it? That would certainly be an interesting introduction, but I don't know how they would make that fit in a major film. I don't remember there being much content there.

If we're going to start filming foreign Dark Fantasy stories, however, I may remind studio executives that there's a certain Japanese fantasy manga that would make a wonderful film series. You could really knock the GoT fans socks off with this, I'm just saying.

 

[thewatergamer]

I'm not gonna get my hopes up...these things are usually terrible, but if it's good, I will happily dine on my words

 

[RealRT]

The Witcher TV series? Yeah, they tried this once. It ended badly.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

these things are usually terrible

What things? It's got nothing to do with the game series. It will be loosely based on themes from the short stories. Hollywood doesn't have a big problem with adapting novels. In fact it's the one thing they adapt better than anything.

I'm probably not going to bother with this. If they insist on making a series out of it, eventually they'll try to go to places that the video games went to. And I don't want to see that. The games had a great story and a perfect ending. I don't want anyone to mess with that.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

That was a very interesting intro cinematic. We shall have to see. I guess the rampant sex scenes makes more sense in a film at least. Wonder who could play Geralt. Is Liam Neeson up to much these days? Perhaps he conveys too much emotion though. If we supply him with heavy painkillers, it could do the trick.

 

[CaptainMarvelous]

So, we're all cool pretending the Hexer never happened?
Also not sure about the story choices. Not much linking the two ones they picked. Why not just do the whole epic saga with Regis, Milva and that?

 

[tacotrainwreck]

If anything at all, I'm glad to know CD Projekt Red will have nothing to do with it. They said they were done with The Witcher and they meant it. Kudos for sidestepping the shameless cash-in.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Oh cool, The Butcher of Blaviken gets his own film. I always thought The Lesser Evil was the best short story in Last Wish. Shit is just grim.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

Instead of a movie I would prefer if they gave it to HBO to make a TV show out of it. It's basically the Polish version of Game of Thrones just with more fantasy and monsters in it.

Agreed, I think this would work far better as a TV series than a movie, or even a series of movies.

One thing I'm concerned about is that if they decide to make it a movie they're going to aim for a PG-13 rating, and The Witcher is a decidely not PG-13 world.

The Witcher TV series? Yeah, they tried this once. It ended badly.

Wasn't it only a show in Poland? Or am I thinking of something else?

But anyway, I think it could work, considering how wildly successful Game of Thrones has been, but they'll really need to bring their A game in terms of actors, writers, directors, and be willing to drop some $$$ on decent special effects.

 

[Alex Baas]

Two of the best stories in the first book. Please don't suck

 

[RealRT]

The Witcher TV series? Yeah, they tried this once. It ended badly.

Wasn't it only a show in Poland? Or am I thinking of something else?

But anyway, I think it could work, considering how wildly successful Game of Thrones has been, but they'll really need to bring their A game in terms of actors, writers, directors, and be willing to drop some $$$ on decent special effects.

Yeah, but it ran in some other countries, including mine and was available on DVD. And I honestly doubt they will be willing to spend good money on this project.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Let's hope they don't shoot it, or are forced to cut it, as PG13.

 

[gizmo2300]

Someone threw out the idea of Mads Mikkelsen as Geralt

And I can dig it.

It's funny how they're making him play "generally eastern european guy" when DK is a northwestern country xD (if anyone is wondering what I mean, Hannibal Lecter is lithuanian and Le Chiffre, while his nationality is never revealed, is speculated to be polish).

 

[Tautology]

Nothing against The Witcher, but I'm a little disappointed. Geralt is not the White Wolf I want to see in theaters. There's already been a TV series and it's had 3 decent games. At the same time, an eternity seems to have passed since the Elric movie rights were first optioned in the late 80s and nothing's become of it.

My bitterness aside, I hope The Witcher proves better than the fantasy novel adaptations we've been getting these past few years. Just barely better.