The Witcher season 3 is currently in production, and Screen Rant has heard there will be an expansion of the world’s lore for the season’s final episodes. Netflix’s The Witcher is based on the book series of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski, which also inspired the hit video game series developed by CD Projekt Red. Notably, The Witcher season 3 is also the last time viewers will see Henry Cavill as the protagonist Geralt, as the actor is set to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth in the show’s fourth season.
The source did make a point to mention to Screen Rant how much the show production team works to honor the vision of The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski, but also that the creative team has exciting opportunities to expand on the lore of the source material. There is a clear desire for the screen adaptations of The Witcher spinoffs and stories to have their own identity, which makes sense given the unique opportunities afforded by any different storytelling format. In fact, some of the biggest new additions to Sapkowski's lore may be introduced toward the end of the third season, so audiences will have to be extra patient to find out what's in store.
How Far Could The Witcher Skew Away From Its Known Lore?
The Witcher has largely struck a careful balance between adapting and expanding on its source material, but as ambitions rise, The Witcher television universe could certainly continue to become its own unique offering. The Witcher: Blood Origin was an example of Netflix’s The Witcher universe creating its own material without relying directly on Sapkowski’s books. While that show was not well-received overall, it points to a desire for continued lore expansion that will continue in some way in The Witcher season 3.
How the continued expansion of The Witcher lore will be received is another question entirely. HBO's The Last of Us is currently being lauded for both the ways it is directly adapting the original game, and the ways in which it takes bold new steps with the story; as showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have often stated, their work has been to choose very judiciously when to stray from the source material, and when to adapt it as closely as possible. Taking bold strides in new directions has thus far seemed rather controversial for The Witcher, but perhaps that will change in season 3.
The Witcher seasons 1 & 2 are streaming now on Netflix.