The Witcher is a fantasy show about family and being an outsider

Netflix’s The Witcher starring Henry Cavill has all the fantasy elements fans will expect, but it’s a show about family, according to showrunner Lauren Hissrich.

New Netflix original series The Witcher was one of the big shows at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. The series held a panel in Hall H, where a new teaser trailer was revealed. Showrunner Lauren Hissrich joined stars Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, and Anya Chalotra on stage for the panel, and the group answered questions about the new Netflix original series.

During a press roundtable at SDCC, The Witcher creator Lauren Hissrich also shared what the most anticipated Netflix original series of the year not named Stranger Things is all about. While the show has all the typical elements of fantasy, it’s also a show about what it means to belong and family.

“It has magic. It has monsters and has a ton of violence and sex and love and all of the things that we expect from fantasy,” Hissrich said. “But what I would say, too, is that it has, at its core, family and trying to live in the world when you’re an outsider. And, these are things that I think any viewer can relate to.”

This should be incredibly reassuring for those hopeful this series lives up to the hype. As much as we all love the major themes and tropes of fantasy stories, what makes each a great fantasy story is how the story connects with viewers. We all understand what it’s like to not belong at some point, and the fact that its going to be central to the story should be a way that we can all connect with these great characters.

Specifically, Hissrich is talking about Geralt of Rivia, played by Cavill, Yennefer, a sorceress, played by Chalotra, and Ciri, a Princess, played by Allen. These will be the three leads in the story, and no, they are not family… yet.

Finally, fans got their first look at The Witcher when Netflix shared the first trailer for the series after it played during The Witcher panel at SDCC.

Based on the short stories and novels from Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher follows the journey of Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher, aka monster hunter, from the world called The Continent. There is such a rich history and a ton of beginning points for an adaptation.

According to Hissrich, this series focuses on The Last Wish, and at SDCC, she shared a few details with Netflix Life and others about where this story will begin.

“It was really important to me to tell the stories of these individuals before they meet and sort of allow them to grow in their own space and become a little bit more,” Hissrich continued. “But then I wanted them to start crashing into each other fast and see how that changed. And, I mean, I will always say the first season is really about a family coming together.”

As it’s been reported, Hissrich initially turned down the offer to write this series for Netflix, a story she says that “Netflix loves to tell.” After turning them down, Hissrich said Netflix came back to her and asked her how she would get into this world and tell this story.

“I said it would be about what happens when Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer meet and how we can craft a really disjointed family that’s meant to be together,” Hissrich said. “That’s something that I knew that I could bring. I think that’s the base of all fantasy, right? It’s just human experience. It’s maybe human experience in a world that we don’t live in with monsters and with magic, but it really comes down to just what it’s like to walk through the world.”

After hearing Hissrich speak about this series and seeing the trailer, I have complete confidence they’ve made all the right choices for this series. There’s a lot of hype surrounding the show with the popularity of the video games and the source material. There needs to be a human element to this show, and it sounds like that’s been the priority.

Sure, it’s cool to have lots of cool fight sequences, monsters and more, but if the story doesn’t connect to viewers, then there’s really no point in making that show.

So, there you have it! There are no big spoilers for those haven’t heard this story yet, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.

We still don’t know the release date for The Witcher yet. It’s assumed the series will be released later this year. Stay tuned for more news about the series.