While Netflix’s The Witcher is primarily based on the best-selling book series of the name, there is no denying the TV series took some level of inspiration and a handful of Easter Eggs from CD Projekt Red’s hit video game series – that is loosely based off the books.
During an interview on The Writer Experience Podcast, The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich revealed the one aspect of the video game series that she took when creating the popular Netflix show.
“You know, when I first – I’m not a gamer myself, but when I first took on the project, I found a friend of mine, Matt Owens, who is a huge gamer and I basically insisted that he let me play,” said Hissrich. “And then very quickly, I realized I stopped. So I watched him play and drank some beers. And I took in the visuals of the world. And what I will say is that that’s probably the biggest thing I took from the game.”
Hissrich continued to explain she wanted the world of The Witcher to be colourful and full of life in the same vein as the video game series rather than a dirty and gritty look.
“Oftentimes people think of fantasy as really dirty and gritty and horrible and everything’s dark. And the truth is, The Witcher actually has a lot of color, has a lot of life, has a lot of everything to it. So that’s something I saw on the game, I saw just how beautiful the world could be. And to me, what a great balance for fantasy because this is real life, right? Even in tragedy and real life, the sun still rises, and it sets and that can still be beautiful, even if there’s a war going on next door. So that’s something that we took. And also, I think there’s a lot of sort of, there’s a lot of little easter eggs in the show, that are basically just there to say to video gamers, we see you, we know you’re here too. And we know that you love The Witcher and you know, not just because of the book. So we just want to throw out a little things to you as well.”
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Based on the best-selling fantasy series of books, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer and Freya Allan as Ciri. Other cast members include Jodhi May, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Adam Levy, MyAnna Buring, Mimi Ndiweni, Therica Wilson-Read, Emma Appleton, Eamon Farren, Joey Batey, Lars Mikkelsen, Royce Pierreson, Maciej Musiał, Wilson Radjou-Pujalte, and Anna Shaffer.
Originally published February 11, 2020. Updated February 10, 2020.
