Netflix series The Witcher tries to match Game of Thrones success, but reactions are mixed
- New Netflix fantasy saga starring Henry Cavill wants to be the next TV blockbuster, but critics have been far from impressed
- The show got an average Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 58 per cent and Entertainment Weekly called it ‘terrible’
With fantasy drama fans still smarting from the end of HBO’s Games of Thrones and searching for a new favourite, Netflix started streaming The Witcher last week.
The eight-episode series is based on the long-running string of novels and short stories by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. It has previously been adapted into comics and video games.
The Witcher follows the story of Geralt of Rivia, played by Henry Cavill, a medieval beast hunter with supernatural abilities, along with sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg, played by Anya Chalotra, and Freya Allan as Princess Ciri.
It was created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, whose TV writing and producing credits include The West Wing and Parenthood, and was filmed in Hungary, Poland and the Canary Islands. Production of a second series was announced in November.
The show has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 58 per cent. Time magazine critic Judy Berman wrote that “a great fantasy show … can’t thrive on high production values alone”. The New York Times suggested the show was merely a generic version of the beloved GOT, which wrapped up in May after eight seasons. Entertainment Weekly was blunt, calling the show “terrible”.