Watch the trailer for Netflix’s The Witcher!

Netflix’s The Witcher is one of the most hyped fantasy series coming out in the near future. Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, the story revolves around Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a professional monster hunter (or “witcher,” if you will) who criss-crosses a fantasy land known as the Continent looking for work. The monsters are scary. The people are worse. His only solace is with his created family, consisting of his on-again, off-again sorceress love interest Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and his protégé Ciri (Freya Allan).

Showrunner Lauren Hissrich is saying all the right things about what kind of show this will be. And now, we finally have a trailer! Let’s watch:

Those are some quality creature effects. And they’re leaning right on into the mystical part of the series. I definitely recognize a scene from what looks like an adaptation of “The Voice of Reason,” where Geralt fights a striga in a crypt, one of the earlier Witcher stories. My bet is that it’s the first episode. What do y’all think of the trailer?

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Anyway, Hissrich has been talking up the show at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. One of the unspoken realities of The Witcher is that it’s being made in the shadow of Game of Thrones, a show that made fantasy stories a hot property. Does she thinks the popularity of GoT makes it easier or harder for her to break through? “I personally think it helps,” Hissrich told Entertainment Weekly.

"People say to me all the time: ‘Do you think this show could be the next Game of Thrones?’ I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan. I don’t think people need ‘the next Game of Thrones.’ I think when people ask that they mean, ‘Can this show be as successful or renowned as Thrones’? God, I hope so. What Game of Thrones did is it showed the world that fantasy wasn’t just for a niche audience and fantasy could be acceptable for everyone and that these are stories of humans interacting with each other in a heightened world. I think Game of Thrones paved the way and I’m really grateful for that show."

Once again, Hissrich is saying the right things. I’m glad she wants to aim for the success of Game of Thrones without copying the show.

That said, even though I agree that we don’t need “the next Game of Thrones,” it doesn’t hurt to make use of some of the sparkling talent from that show. To wit: Redanian Intelligence reports that David J. Peterson, the guy responsible for crafting the Dothraki and Valyrian languages for Game of Thrones, is working on The Witcher. A smart move.

The cast members are also doing press at the con, talking about the looks of the characters, how they prepared, and teasing what they can about the story:

The Witcher will air this fall. Let’s hope it’s a hit!

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