Lauren S. Hissrich, executive producer and creator of Netflix's sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Cirilla "Ciri" Fiona Elen Riannon, the crown princess of Cintra. The series draws viewers and fans from many corners: those who read Sapkowski's novels, those who played the video games, and those who are completely unfamiliar with the world.
Season one of The Witcher introduced viewers to the characters via intertwining storylines that took place in different time periods. In this way, the writers left breadcrumbs for fans throughout the season. With a successful first run of episodes, it's no surprise Netflix has already renewed the series for season 2. The streamer has also already announced it will be adding a host of new characters to The Witcher season 2.
On Monday, Hissrich explained on Twitter some of the reasoning behind the show not being an exact adaptation. She mentioned it was essential to maintain "the spirit of the books," but said "novels can't be a 1:1 adaptation to tv, because characters can't speak for hours on end without interruption (lookin at you Geralt and Iola.)" Check out Hissrich's full thread below:
Adapting text to screen presents its own challenges to creatives when trying to stay faithful to the source, especially when it comes to the fantasy genre. With a world as expansive as Sapkowski's, the writers had to pick and choose what parts of the story they wanted to show viewers, and on top of that, focus on how to explain different aspects of the world. While it is necessary for an adaptation to stay somewhat true to its source material, when doing so, the writers must also take certain liberties so that audiences unfamiliar with the original story can also understand the complexities of the world.
In The Witcher, one such addition was that of Yennefer's origin story, which is not included in the books. The writers were able to flesh it out, satisfying audiences both old and new. It's a great example of maintaining the core of the novels while also offering something different. Hissrich's comment on why the show couldn't be an exact adaptation makes a lot of sense as well, especially to those familiar with the dialogue of the books. Luckily, it seems fans are perfectly happy with this adaptation of The Witcher, even if it isn't exactly like the novels it's based on.
Source: Lauren Hissrich/Twitter