The Witcher is coming to television in an eight-part Netflix series starring Henry Cavill that's expected to air either this year or next. The first images of Cavill in character were a little, well, not what I expected, but he made enough of an impression that showrunner Lauren Hissrich proclaimed after it was announced, "He IS Geralt," which I take as encouraging.
Over the weekend, she shared some more encouraging impressions on Twitter:
Just watched a cut of #Witcher with Ben, and the verdict is in: this show is not for 5-year-olds. Like, really not. #TalesOfAWorkingMomJanuary 27, 2019
On one hand, I would think that this should go without saying. The Witcher games fully deserve their M rating, and not just because of the rampant virtual violence: Geralt's a smooth one with the ladies, and I'm not talking about his talent for friendly conversation. At the same time, it's understandable that Netflix would want to be very up-front about the nature of the series. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine someone expecting a Lord of the Rings-type family-friendly fantasy that the kids will enjoy for a couple hours while they try to get some work done, and as amusing as that might be in theory, it would not end well for anyone.
Joking aside, I'm glad to hear that The Witcher isn't being watered down for the small screen. Geralt's world is rougher and more ribald than what we're used to seeing in mainstream fantasy fiction, and hopefully this means that fans will have the opportunity to enjoy it in all its ugly glory. Unfortunately, there's still no release date, but we'll keep you posted.
