A Netflix series based on The Witcher was announced last year. In recent weeks, showrunner Lauren Hissrich has provided fans with several glimpses behind the scenes as pre-production gets underway. Around three weeks ago, she addressed several questions and suggested that the series was tentatively planned for release in 2020. Now, in a series of tweets, Hissrich has offered fans a look at how the newly formed team of writers are approaching the task of writing the series.
Hissrich revealed the writing team via tweet last week. She announced the addition of Sneha Koorse and Jenny Klein, writers for Netflix’s Daredevil and Jessica Jones, respectively, as well as Declan de Barra, who wrote for The Originals. Her message was one of positivity going forward as the writers prepared to undertake the task of writing the upcoming series. (In a previous tweet, Hissrich stated that only a draft of the pilot episode has been written so far.)
“”We’re the foundation for hundreds of people who will make this TV show,” she said “and we’re not only gonna be great storytellers, we’re gonna be fucking great human beings along the way.”
The Writers’ Process
Hissrich delved at length into the writing process in her tweets. That work comprises a huge amount of research covering the source material (both the games and the original novels). That research can then be honed into the characters and themes which Hissrich wants to focus on in the series’ first season. The writers then focus on individual characters and use their developmental arcs to plot out each episode. After that phase of the planning, the writers will then write their own episodes individually, with Hissrich overseeing everything.
Once the scripts are done, they will be debated by the writers and then the producers. After that, Hissrich assesses them again, and then a final time with the director and the actors. At present, castings have yet to be announced, and it is very likely that the show has yet to reach that stage. Obviously, this early into pre-production, very little is concrete. Casting for some characters such as Geralt of Rivia may well be obvious. However, it would be impossible to cast for the series without the scripts; knowing which characters are going to be included is, after all, rather vital.
Hissrich has, thus far, been surprisingly open about the creative process. With a projected release date of 2020, fans likely still have a long time to wait. However, it seems likely that the showrunner will keep posting updates along the way.