Netflix’s upcoming epic fantasy series The Witcher is drawing plenty of comparisons to HBO’s Game of Thrones. An adaptation of the bestselling medieval book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter who must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent with two others. As reviewers got their hands on early screenings of the series, they took to social media with their first reactions, many praising the original for its epic fight scenes that they claim are far superior than that witnessed in GoT.
The Fight Scenes In #Witcher WOW Makes #GameofThrones Fights Look Awful – Watching The Witcher Season 1 This Weekend pic.twitter.com/fSmkAb4mdS
— Warstu (@wWarstu) November 23, 2019
“Oh I will say this. The fight scenes in The Witcher make Game of Thrones fight scenes look like two drunks fighting outside a bar,” another wrote.
Throughout its eight-season arc, Thrones had oftentimes been lauded for its realistic fight scenes. Along with the noteworthy Battle of the Bastards, the series was praised for the Battle of Winterfell, a sequence that took 11 weeks of night shoots to complete and marked the largest battle in cinema.
According to reviewers, however, The Witcher’s fight scenes will give GoT a run for its money.
The fight choreography is insane. First fight Geralt gets into is beautifully savage. The blend of swordplay and Geralt’s signs is perfection#TheWitcher pic.twitter.com/8JaXGfltIO
— Garrick (Key Issues) (@Garrick_KI) November 22, 2019
Critics are also praising the series for its cast as well as the writing.
“I can’t break the embargo, but I will express my thoughts about the screeners through a gif,” one person wrote, sharing a gif of a crying Kristen Bell. “First off, how dare you make something so glorious. Second, Henry Cavill chose Roach well, and that’s the hill I die on!”
“[The Witcher’s] cast both lead and supporting are beyond exceptional. Amazing cast all around,” another shared.
“Watching the screeners for [The Witcher]. I’ll admit, as a huge fan of the books, I was a little worried, but [Lauren S. Hissrich] has done a masterful job telling this story,” another commented. “It also helps that the cast is amazing! And Henry Cavill, just … wow.”
At this time, embargos on full reviews have not been lifted, meaning that would-be viewers are only getting tidbits of reactions from critics. The series, which also stars Freya Allan as Ciri and Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, has already been renewed for a second season.
Season 1 of The Witcher will be available for streaming on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 20. All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are available for streaming on HBO.
—–
WAIT! Subscribe to GroupChat, PopCulture.com’s official Reality TV podcast! Check it out by clicking here or listen below.
HIT play and listen to GroupChat’s new Episode 14! We’re digging into ‘Dancing With the Stars’ winner, ‘America’s Got Talent’ had two major exits, Dog the Bounty Hunter is in a new movie role and Angelina Pivarnick’s wedding got messy when her ‘Jersey Shore’ stars roasted her in their speeches! Stay tuned and make sure to subscribe!
