The Witcher Season 3 will be more faithful to Andrzej Sapkowski's original canon, according to showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich.
Hissrich promised fans that the Netflix show's third season will hew closely follow the events of the second full-length Witcher novel, Time of Contempt, in an interview with Collider. "Season 3, especially on the heels of Season 2, is a much more direct adaptation," she said. "Again, just from a basic writing perspective, the book is so easily adaptable. And it really is... It can be broken down into big events." Hissrich added that Time of Contempt also happens to be her favorite of Sapkowski's books, citing the tome's "exciting," action-heavy narrative as part of its appeal.
This isn't the first time Hissrich has publicly addressed The Witcher fanbase's concerns over the series' direction. In May 2023, the showrunner made it clear she was aware of concerns regarding the way The Witcher Season 2 handled Yennefer of Vengerberg's (Anya Chalotra) character arc. Hissrich went on to confirm that Season 3 will go some way to redeeming Yennefer in the eyes of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and Ciri (Freya Allan) and indicated The Witcher's next batch of episodes will rekindle the Geralt/Yennefer romance, as well.
The Witcher Showrunner Talks The Wild Hunt
Another key Witcher Season 3 plot point Hissrich has discussed openly is the growing menace of The Wild Hunt -- the spectral horde briefly teased in Season 2. While some fans would no doubt love to see these fearsome baddies play a bigger role in The Witcher's third season, Hissrich noted that they'll remain on the periphery for the time being. "Eventually, Geralt is going to learn a little bit more about the Wild Hunt, as will Ciri, but right now it stays this ever-looming threat to her," she said.
Hissrich has also spoken candidly about The Witcher's future beyond Season 3, including the transition from Cavill to Liam Hemsworth in the Geralt role. Notably, Hissrich revealed that Netflix gave her and the show's other executive producers the option of wrapping up the series after Cavill's departure, however, they all agreed that Geralt's tale should continue. "We had the choice to have Geralt exit and to end the show," she recalled. "[But] that's not something that we were willing to do. There's just too many stories left to tell."
The Witcher Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Netflix. Season 3's two volumes are set to premiere on the platform on June 29 and July 27, 2023, respectively.
Source: Collider