Netflix has dropped the first poster and images from The Witcher, which is slated for a late 2019 release along with The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The Witcher is a high medieval fantasy drama and the first look images reveal Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill as lead Geralt of Rivia. Other images reveal Anya Chalotra as Yennefer and Freya Allan as Ciri. The images promise an epic and expansive story that will take audiences on a journey – but how similar is it to Game of Thrones?
A short plot synopsis from Netflix teases: “Based on the best-selling fantasy series, 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 and Game of Thrones are only superficially alike (Image: NETFLIX)
Is The Witcher the next Game of Thrones?
Superficially at least, The Witcher and Game of Thrones appear similar due to their aesthetics with their fantasy worlds encompassing heroes, politicking between kingdoms, and a big cast of characters.
The Witcher also has a star-studded cast which according to IMDb also includes Anna Shaffer, MyAnna Buring, Shaun Dooley and Jodhi May.
The Witcher is based on a series of fantasy novels and short stories written by acclaimed Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski which have been translated into many languages.
Unlike Game of Thrones though, writer Sapkowski seems to have concluded his story without fans having to wonder how the story will wrap up.
On top of that, The Witcher series was adapted into a series of Polish films in 2001 and 2002 with Michał Żebrowski taking on the role of Geralt of Riva.
There are hopes Netflix’s version will have a global reach compared to these movies and give enough time to tell the lengthy story.
The Witcher: Freya Allan as Princess Ciri (Image: NETFLIX)
However, The Witcher also has a life as a highly successful video game franchise with the first instalment released in 2007.
The game proved popular and spawned two sequels: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011) and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015).
Despite the comparisons to Game of Thrones, The Witcher is a whole world in its own right.
The Witcher: Anya Chalotra as Yennefer (Image: NETFLIX)
Given the series will be on Netflix, fans will be able to binge it one go rather than having to wait on a weekly basis.
Speaking about Netflix adapting The Witcher, Sapkowski previously said: “I’m thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories, staying true to the source material and the themes that I have spent over thirty years writing.
“I’m excited about our efforts together, as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life.”
The Witcher: Henry Cavill as Geralt of Riva (Image: NETFLIX)
The Witcher will see Lauren Hissrich serving as showrunner, who is taking her cue from the novels.
Netflix originally wanted to turn The Witcher into a film but decided on a TV series because the story wouldn’t fit one film.
“Right now we are focusing our energy on a series and I think that this is the natural form for Sapkowski’s prose,” Netflix executive Erik Barmack told Gazeta.pl.
The Witcher will be released on Netflix later this year
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