1
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000
Downloaded from
YTS.MX
2
00:00:07,333 --> 00:00:11,875
[tense music playing]
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000
Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
4
00:00:11,958 --> 00:00:18,125
-[hooves galloping]
-[eerie voice growling]
5
00:00:18,208 --> 00:00:22,041
[indistinct yelling]
6
00:00:22,125 --> 00:00:25,458
[dramatic music playing]
7
00:00:31,375 --> 00:00:34,125
[yelling continues]
8
00:00:35,708 --> 00:00:36,708
[man grunts]
9
00:00:40,791 --> 00:00:44,416
[music crescendos]
10
00:00:44,500 --> 00:00:45,916
[music fades out]
11
00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,000
[Cavill]
My initial interest in The Witcher
12
00:00:48,083 --> 00:00:51,041
came from a chance experience
with The Witcher games.
13
00:00:51,625 --> 00:00:54,333
Then I heard that Netflix
were making a show
14
00:00:54,416 --> 00:00:59,000
and so, I-- I hunted down
the opportunity to play Geralt
15
00:00:59,083 --> 00:01:02,375
and when I'd spoken to--
had my first meeting with Lauren...
16
00:01:03,416 --> 00:01:05,875
she had mentioned
that it was based on the books.
17
00:01:06,166 --> 00:01:07,916
The books, I absolutely loved,
18
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,625
and they are an extraordinary source
of a wonderful story.
19
00:01:12,416 --> 00:01:15,166
[Hissrich] So, Andrzej Sapkowski
wrote this series of books.
20
00:01:15,250 --> 00:01:16,958
Talking to him about it is fascinating.
21
00:01:17,041 --> 00:01:19,833
He traveled all over the world
as a traveling salesman,
22
00:01:20,125 --> 00:01:23,375
and he started to write
the original short story of The Witcher
23
00:01:23,458 --> 00:01:25,958
and submitted it to a magazine
and it got published,
24
00:01:26,041 --> 00:01:28,041
but he had never intended for--
25
00:01:28,125 --> 00:01:30,291
for it to take hold the way
that it took hold.
26
00:01:30,375 --> 00:01:32,500
-[loud crash]
-[shrieking]
27
00:01:32,875 --> 00:01:35,333
[Cavill] There's something unique
about the way...
28
00:01:35,958 --> 00:01:40,125
Andrzej Sapkowski wrote...
wrote The Witcher.
29
00:01:40,208 --> 00:01:44,333
It's a-- a harsh yet relatable world
with some extraordinary characters in it.
30
00:01:44,416 --> 00:01:46,833
-The south needed reminding who was Queen.
-[cheers]
31
00:01:46,916 --> 00:01:50,041
[Hissrich] What excited me the most
when I went to pitch Netflix...
32
00:01:50,125 --> 00:01:51,250
What did you wish for?
33
00:01:51,333 --> 00:01:53,208
[Hissrich]
...was planting all of the seeds
34
00:01:53,291 --> 00:01:55,541
of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer
coming together.
35
00:01:56,458 --> 00:01:58,625
[whispers] Find Geralt of Rivia.
36
00:01:59,083 --> 00:02:01,791
[Hissrich] It took me a while.
I went through several versions.
37
00:02:01,875 --> 00:02:05,416
And then I-- I literally had one of those
"Aha!" moments in the shower.
38
00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:08,083
"Can I tell all three of these stories
at the same time
39
00:02:08,166 --> 00:02:10,583
and not have it be too confusing?"
40
00:02:11,083 --> 00:02:13,333
It's been interesting
because I do think that
41
00:02:13,416 --> 00:02:15,583
television audiences are really savvy now.
42
00:02:15,666 --> 00:02:19,125
And as a writer, as a creator,
we have that on our side.
43
00:02:19,208 --> 00:02:21,500
So, we do jump through time a lot,
44
00:02:21,583 --> 00:02:25,375
but I think it's an exciting journey
for fans and for, you know,
45
00:02:25,458 --> 00:02:28,000
even audiences that have never seen
The Witcher before.
46
00:02:28,458 --> 00:02:29,291
[Duny grunts]
47
00:02:29,375 --> 00:02:30,791
-[Geralt grunts]
-[knight yelps]
48
00:02:31,166 --> 00:02:33,958
So, what's really interesting
is digging into these stories,
49
00:02:34,041 --> 00:02:37,125
and one of the first things that I did
when I sold The Witcher
50
00:02:37,208 --> 00:02:41,458
is I booked a plane ticket to Poland
because I was really interested
51
00:02:41,541 --> 00:02:44,625
why this book series
was so important to this nation
52
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,541
and how it reflected the spirits
of the people
53
00:02:47,625 --> 00:02:51,125
and that was important to me
for developing the series as a whole.
54
00:02:57,750 --> 00:03:01,000
[Bagiński]
Witcher is a big part of myself, I think.
55
00:03:01,250 --> 00:03:03,208
Witcher became part of my...
56
00:03:03,833 --> 00:03:07,208
brain and body and mind a long time ago.
57
00:03:07,291 --> 00:03:10,708
But for the rest of the world,
Witcher is a great story,
58
00:03:10,791 --> 00:03:13,791
it's a great character,
it's a great world.
59
00:03:14,250 --> 00:03:16,000
For kingdom and glory.
60
00:03:16,083 --> 00:03:18,750
Tomek Bagiński,
who's one of our Polish producers,
61
00:03:19,041 --> 00:03:22,625
he's very well-versed on the books
and the lore of The Witcher
62
00:03:22,708 --> 00:03:26,208
and there are certain things that are
not necessarily described in the scripts.
63
00:03:26,625 --> 00:03:30,416
We would run those things
by Tomek and his team
64
00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:33,000
to make sure we were staying
true to the source material.
65
00:03:33,083 --> 00:03:35,791
[Bagiński] It's a big part
of the pop culture history of Poland,
66
00:03:35,875 --> 00:03:38,041
which is also, I think, quite important.
67
00:03:38,541 --> 00:03:39,625
And...
68
00:03:39,708 --> 00:03:43,500
it's a game, it's a book, it's a TV show,
69
00:03:43,583 --> 00:03:45,250
it's plenty of things.
70
00:03:45,333 --> 00:03:50,083
It's very, very hard to just box Witcher
into a very simple explanation.
71
00:03:51,416 --> 00:03:53,916
And I hope that we can present this world
72
00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,458
to... a much, much wider audience.
73
00:03:57,750 --> 00:03:59,541
I like to say that, for the series,
74
00:03:59,625 --> 00:04:01,791
we actually get to find the story
75
00:04:01,875 --> 00:04:04,083
that's happening between the lines
in the books.
76
00:04:04,166 --> 00:04:06,791
We're trying to be a really
true representation of the books
77
00:04:06,875 --> 00:04:08,833
and trying to honor that material,
78
00:04:08,916 --> 00:04:10,958
but the books also skip over
a lot of things.
79
00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:12,791
That's my lute. Give that back!
80
00:04:12,875 --> 00:04:15,625
[Bagiński] There were a lot of new ideas
coming from the writers' room,
81
00:04:15,708 --> 00:04:17,541
which, eh, some of their--
82
00:04:17,625 --> 00:04:21,833
some of those ideas were very risky,
but all of them were brilliant.
83
00:04:21,916 --> 00:04:23,875
In the writers' room for The Witcher,
84
00:04:24,541 --> 00:04:28,791
we get together
and we bat around ideas for a while
85
00:04:28,875 --> 00:04:33,041
until we have a clearer picture
of what we're doing for this season,
86
00:04:33,125 --> 00:04:36,875
and once we do that,
we go into individual episodes
87
00:04:36,958 --> 00:04:39,041
and draw from the books.
88
00:04:39,125 --> 00:04:43,125
Like, "What from the books
do we want to bring into this season?"
89
00:04:43,833 --> 00:04:44,833
Once we decide that,
90
00:04:45,333 --> 00:04:48,708
Lauren sends us off
and we write our individual scripts
91
00:04:49,166 --> 00:04:52,250
and we have certain story lines
92
00:04:52,333 --> 00:04:54,833
that carry through
from one episode to another
93
00:04:54,916 --> 00:04:56,791
that we keep batting back and forth
94
00:04:56,875 --> 00:05:00,208
to make sure that we're always giving
new information to the audience.
95
00:05:01,166 --> 00:05:04,250
When you get assigned a script, it, uh--
96
00:05:04,333 --> 00:05:08,291
It's very exciting because,
"Oh, I'm dealing with this story, great!"
97
00:05:08,375 --> 00:05:10,458
When I got Law of Surprise,
people were like,
98
00:05:10,541 --> 00:05:12,500
[sharp inhale]
"Glad I didn't get that one!"
99
00:05:12,583 --> 00:05:14,833
because it is tough to explain.
100
00:05:14,916 --> 00:05:16,666
Asking for payment
with the Law of Surprise
101
00:05:16,750 --> 00:05:18,625
is as old as mankind itself.
102
00:05:18,708 --> 00:05:21,083
-Don't lecture me, Eist.
-[Eist] It's an honest gamble...
103
00:05:21,625 --> 00:05:24,833
as likely to be rewarded
with a... bumper crop,
104
00:05:24,916 --> 00:05:27,833
as a newborn pup or...
105
00:05:29,083 --> 00:05:30,166
a child of surprise.
106
00:05:30,916 --> 00:05:35,083
Trying to get that out,
[chuckles] in a script and in a way
107
00:05:35,166 --> 00:05:38,583
where the actor doesn't look at you
and just slap you, it was difficult.
108
00:05:38,666 --> 00:05:40,166
But that's essentially what it is,
109
00:05:40,250 --> 00:05:43,958
the Law of Surprise, in a nutshell,
is claiming something...
110
00:05:45,291 --> 00:05:48,583
from the person, em... that is a surprise.
111
00:05:48,666 --> 00:05:51,583
When they return to that house,
whatever the first thing they encounter
112
00:05:51,666 --> 00:05:55,041
that they didn't know they had
before they left... that's it.
113
00:05:55,833 --> 00:05:56,666
Fuck.
114
00:05:56,750 --> 00:05:57,583
Yeah, it's just--
115
00:05:57,666 --> 00:06:00,833
it's a lot of different ideas
with a lot of different perspectives,
116
00:06:00,916 --> 00:06:02,750
which is important, I think,
for The Witcher
117
00:06:02,833 --> 00:06:07,708
because it is ultimately...
kind of about all these different groups,
118
00:06:07,791 --> 00:06:12,208
whether it be elves, gnomes, dwarves,
and their perspectives on the world.
119
00:06:12,291 --> 00:06:16,791
So to have the room also, kind of,
represent that type of diversity
120
00:06:16,875 --> 00:06:19,166
is-- is very useful for the storytelling.
121
00:06:19,541 --> 00:06:20,958
[anguished scream]
122
00:06:21,041 --> 00:06:25,583
What's great about this
and what we've done with the story is
123
00:06:26,250 --> 00:06:32,166
we've focused on the humanity
and all those human struggles.
124
00:06:32,583 --> 00:06:36,666
[Hissrich] One thing that most
interested me is the women in the books.
125
00:06:36,750 --> 00:06:40,833
They're very, very strong women,
um, that are surrounding Geralt,
126
00:06:40,916 --> 00:06:41,833
the protagonist.
127
00:06:42,583 --> 00:06:43,541
And I asked Andrzej,
128
00:06:43,625 --> 00:06:45,708
I said, "You know,
for books written during the 80s,
129
00:06:45,791 --> 00:06:48,041
I'm really surprised
the women are so strong."
130
00:06:48,125 --> 00:06:51,541
And he said to me, "You know,
you've never met my mother, have you?"
131
00:06:52,416 --> 00:06:56,291
His point was that for a nation
that was so war-torn,
132
00:06:56,375 --> 00:06:58,208
um, had so much conflict,
133
00:06:58,291 --> 00:07:01,958
they-- they lost a lot of their men,
um, in those conflicts,
134
00:07:02,041 --> 00:07:06,041
and women became quite the centers
of communities
135
00:07:06,125 --> 00:07:09,083
and even the workplace, not just homes.
136
00:07:10,541 --> 00:07:13,291
That's the spirit
that Andrzej brought into these books.
137
00:07:13,375 --> 00:07:15,000
These characters are survivors.
138
00:07:15,083 --> 00:07:17,291
[indistinct yelling, grunts]
139
00:07:18,041 --> 00:07:21,416
When I got the audition through,
um, there were two scenes,
140
00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:23,541
which had been written for the audition,
141
00:07:23,625 --> 00:07:27,250
and, um, one of them
was between her and Geralt
142
00:07:27,333 --> 00:07:32,083
and she was kind of very...
feisty and stubborn.
143
00:07:33,625 --> 00:07:35,625
And then in the other scene, she had...
144
00:07:36,250 --> 00:07:39,833
She was trying to convince someone
not to stay and die, and she was...
145
00:07:39,916 --> 00:07:43,250
You could really see,
like, her heart in it,
146
00:07:43,333 --> 00:07:46,708
and, um, and a more, kind of,
gentle side to her.
147
00:07:47,166 --> 00:07:50,666
So, I liked the fact
that she had both of those
148
00:07:50,750 --> 00:07:54,000
just shown through these audition scenes
and it wasn't just like,
149
00:07:54,083 --> 00:07:57,541
"Oh, she's going to be
a really cool, badass girl,"
150
00:07:57,625 --> 00:08:00,000
which is brilliant, but it also showed
151
00:08:00,625 --> 00:08:06,666
another strength, which is--
which is more gentle and kind and soft.
152
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,125
It must have been such an undertaking
to try and find an actress
153
00:08:13,208 --> 00:08:16,791
that can really, um,
embody a character like Ciri,
154
00:08:16,875 --> 00:08:23,125
just because it comes from such lore
but also it's such an important character.
155
00:08:23,208 --> 00:08:25,500
There's so much that Ciri brings.
156
00:08:25,583 --> 00:08:29,833
Ciri is this world, you know,
she's the key for almost every character.
157
00:08:29,916 --> 00:08:32,625
I mean, she's the element
that brings everyone together.
158
00:08:33,041 --> 00:08:35,958
Every time she's on the screen,
there is something truly
159
00:08:36,041 --> 00:08:38,291
special about her,
there's something magical,
160
00:08:38,375 --> 00:08:40,125
there's something in her eyes,
161
00:08:40,208 --> 00:08:42,708
and I do think that speaks
to the character
162
00:08:42,791 --> 00:08:45,291
and, you know,
that Ciri's got that thing inside her
163
00:08:45,375 --> 00:08:48,916
and she's young,
she doesn't quite know what it is yet,
164
00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,750
and I think Freya's done an amazing job
at bringing that character to life.
165
00:08:54,250 --> 00:08:57,625
So, we went through the books
and we found all of the places
166
00:08:57,708 --> 00:09:00,500
where Andrzej had talked about
these characters' pasts
167
00:09:00,583 --> 00:09:03,583
and then we wove those things together
into a sort of new story
168
00:09:03,666 --> 00:09:05,291
for both Ciri and for Yennefer
169
00:09:05,375 --> 00:09:08,000
to make sure we're really digging
into their backgrounds,
170
00:09:08,083 --> 00:09:11,250
because to me, find the character,
learn the character
171
00:09:11,333 --> 00:09:14,041
and then see how they change
when they meet one another.
172
00:09:14,125 --> 00:09:15,666
That's the most exciting part.
173
00:09:16,166 --> 00:09:17,250
Before we met,
174
00:09:18,166 --> 00:09:19,291
the days were calm...
175
00:09:20,791 --> 00:09:22,250
and the nights were restless.
176
00:09:22,333 --> 00:09:23,458
But now...
177
00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,583
you're important to me.
178
00:09:26,666 --> 00:09:30,458
[fire crackling]
179
00:09:30,541 --> 00:09:32,375
You get the rough idea
when you're in the room
180
00:09:32,458 --> 00:09:34,250
of what this is gonna be
and you beat it out.
181
00:09:34,333 --> 00:09:36,958
"These people are gonna go here,
that's gonna go there."
182
00:09:37,041 --> 00:09:40,083
Then you have the joyous part
where you get to go home as a writer,
183
00:09:40,166 --> 00:09:43,458
by yourself, outside the room,
and come up with cool shit.
184
00:09:43,541 --> 00:09:44,791
And monsters, it's like,
185
00:09:44,875 --> 00:09:47,500
"This is the greatest thing,
I get to write monsters!"
186
00:09:47,583 --> 00:09:49,000
Who doesn't want to do that?
187
00:09:49,083 --> 00:09:51,958
[rapid drumming]
188
00:09:52,041 --> 00:09:55,833
The world of monsters and men...
in Witcher,
189
00:09:56,458 --> 00:09:59,875
those worlds are blended
and it's very, very hard to--
190
00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:05,208
to put a straight line and say,
"Okay, this is where the humans starts,
191
00:10:05,291 --> 00:10:07,750
this is where monster world starts."
192
00:10:09,791 --> 00:10:13,500
[Hissrich] The Continent that we know
was actually, um, inhabited by elves.
193
00:10:14,541 --> 00:10:17,000
And when
the Conjunction of the Spheres happened,
194
00:10:17,083 --> 00:10:20,666
it really opened the floodgates
for monsters, a lot of monsters.
195
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,541
[growls]
196
00:10:22,625 --> 00:10:25,541
One of the very interesting things
about how these...
197
00:10:26,666 --> 00:10:27,791
species interact...
198
00:10:28,625 --> 00:10:29,625
is...
199
00:10:30,708 --> 00:10:34,625
that some aren't from this place,
which we call the Continent,
200
00:10:34,708 --> 00:10:37,541
and indeed all the monsters
that populate the Continent,
201
00:10:37,833 --> 00:10:40,208
some are from there,
some are created by magic,
202
00:10:40,625 --> 00:10:41,833
and others,
203
00:10:41,916 --> 00:10:45,291
even though they're monsters,
or considered monsters,
204
00:10:46,125 --> 00:10:48,916
are from a different place
or multiple different places
205
00:10:49,500 --> 00:10:50,458
and they...
206
00:10:51,625 --> 00:10:53,625
probably view mankind...
207
00:10:54,416 --> 00:10:57,083
just as much as monsters as we view them.
208
00:11:00,166 --> 00:11:03,083
That's all due to something
called the Conjunction of the Spheres.
209
00:11:03,166 --> 00:11:04,833
It's exactly what it sounds like:
210
00:11:04,916 --> 00:11:09,375
it is a bunch of different dimensions
smashing into each other
211
00:11:09,458 --> 00:11:12,833
and-- and changing the world
as we know it.
212
00:11:14,250 --> 00:11:16,666
[DeMayo]
It's really just a refugee situation.
213
00:11:16,750 --> 00:11:19,666
All these creatures
and beings from another universe
214
00:11:19,750 --> 00:11:23,083
got dumped on this Continent
that's not theirs, as refugees,
215
00:11:23,166 --> 00:11:25,875
and the humans were the ones
who were barbaric enough,
216
00:11:25,958 --> 00:11:26,916
war hungry enough,
217
00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,666
and also co-opted magic
from the Elder Races,
218
00:11:30,750 --> 00:11:35,416
to actually take the Continent over
and push the elves out of their lands.
219
00:11:36,416 --> 00:11:37,791
In a strange way,
220
00:11:37,875 --> 00:11:41,916
all the inhabitants of this world
are the guests in this world.
221
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:43,416
Something was here before.
222
00:11:44,125 --> 00:11:45,541
We don't know the details,
223
00:11:46,041 --> 00:11:48,541
but monsters, dwarves, humans,
224
00:11:48,625 --> 00:11:50,291
they-- they all came later.
225
00:11:52,666 --> 00:11:56,333
Because we were looking holistically
at the world we were creating,
226
00:11:56,416 --> 00:11:59,333
I took on the creature concept design
227
00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,208
and for a large number of the creatures,
228
00:12:02,291 --> 00:12:05,333
got to, kind of,
do the initial concept design for those
229
00:12:05,416 --> 00:12:08,666
that then was handed off
either to prosthetics,
230
00:12:09,208 --> 00:12:11,458
uh, to create physical creatures,
231
00:12:11,541 --> 00:12:13,500
or to VFX, um,
232
00:12:13,583 --> 00:12:17,583
to then create the three-dimensional
models or the animated versions.
233
00:12:18,125 --> 00:12:21,750
[man screaming]
234
00:12:21,875 --> 00:12:24,875
And then, a lot of the creatures
that we were involved with,
235
00:12:24,958 --> 00:12:29,750
eh, were a combined effort
with the visual effects department
236
00:12:29,833 --> 00:12:31,375
because, sometimes,
237
00:12:31,458 --> 00:12:35,583
it was a creature that was entirely drawn
238
00:12:35,666 --> 00:12:37,500
by the visual effects department
239
00:12:37,583 --> 00:12:40,750
but certain parts of it were built by us
240
00:12:40,833 --> 00:12:44,875
so that there could be, like,
physical contact, uh, with the actors.
241
00:12:45,333 --> 00:12:48,583
Sometimes it was fully built
as a creature.
242
00:12:49,083 --> 00:12:52,708
One of the most interesting things
about doing some of the creature creation
243
00:12:52,791 --> 00:12:55,791
was working with Tomek Bagiński
and talking back and forth
244
00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:58,166
about Slavic mythology and fairy tales
245
00:12:58,250 --> 00:13:00,916
and bringing certain elements
into the creatures
246
00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,375
that are true to those stories.
247
00:13:03,458 --> 00:13:04,625
[basilisk snarling]
248
00:13:04,708 --> 00:13:06,416
-[Geralt grunts]
-[basilisk roars]
249
00:13:06,500 --> 00:13:08,875
We talk about monsters a lot
in Witcher world,
250
00:13:08,958 --> 00:13:11,375
but actually, in the original books,
251
00:13:11,833 --> 00:13:14,625
Witcher is not fighting
with monsters that often
252
00:13:14,708 --> 00:13:17,208
because this is the moment
in the history of the world
253
00:13:17,291 --> 00:13:19,791
where the monsters are
254
00:13:20,333 --> 00:13:23,250
pushed from their natural habitats
by people,
255
00:13:23,750 --> 00:13:26,541
and, at some point, we realized
256
00:13:26,625 --> 00:13:30,125
that maybe the monsters are the ones
who need protecting.
257
00:13:31,041 --> 00:13:33,375
[loud roar]
258
00:13:38,541 --> 00:13:41,708
[Hissrich] The stories take place
in a place called the Continent,
259
00:13:41,791 --> 00:13:43,208
capital C, Continent.
260
00:13:43,291 --> 00:13:46,958
It is a big world that we will continue
to explore all through the series.
261
00:13:47,750 --> 00:13:53,500
I think the thing that was most intriguing
about this project is world-building.
262
00:13:54,333 --> 00:13:57,333
Um, this was a real opportunity
263
00:13:57,416 --> 00:14:00,666
to create an environment
from the ground up.
264
00:14:01,541 --> 00:14:04,958
And for a production designer,
that's, you know, that's gold dust.
265
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,500
We wanted to give the Continent
a slightly more global feel.
266
00:14:12,583 --> 00:14:16,666
In many ways, the Witcher world
has a very European basis
267
00:14:17,291 --> 00:14:18,541
and we felt,
268
00:14:18,875 --> 00:14:21,708
discussing this very early on,
that we wanted to grow that--
269
00:14:22,416 --> 00:14:25,708
that world with influences
from lots of other places,
270
00:14:25,791 --> 00:14:27,666
lots of other cultural references.
271
00:14:29,500 --> 00:14:33,250
We looked to, you know,
Japanese architecture,
272
00:14:33,333 --> 00:14:36,291
Indian architecture,
Middle Eastern architecture,
273
00:14:36,750 --> 00:14:39,166
where we could give the Continent
a sense of scale,
274
00:14:39,250 --> 00:14:42,125
um, so we didn't feel like
it's all happening in one region.
275
00:14:43,625 --> 00:14:47,125
So playing a bit with...
architectural realities,
276
00:14:47,208 --> 00:14:49,666
the architecture, let's say of Aretuza,
277
00:14:49,750 --> 00:14:53,875
like the external visage
of the Thanedd Island is quite elevated.
278
00:14:54,041 --> 00:14:58,166
You know, there's a bit of a question
of like, "Wow, where did that come from?
279
00:14:58,250 --> 00:14:59,541
How was it achieved?"
280
00:14:59,625 --> 00:15:04,041
'Cause we want to juxtapose that
with the more human architecture of-- of,
281
00:15:04,125 --> 00:15:07,125
"Okay, we understand
how a castle gets built,"
282
00:15:07,208 --> 00:15:10,500
um, but I think mixing those two things up
is really important.
283
00:15:13,750 --> 00:15:17,833
It is set in a sort of medieval period,
but having said that,
284
00:15:17,916 --> 00:15:22,750
um, the influences that I chose to use
were gothic influences of all periods.
285
00:15:23,333 --> 00:15:27,125
So, I chose those,
plus a lot of high fashion.
286
00:15:27,208 --> 00:15:29,708
And, um, another sort of idea
287
00:15:29,791 --> 00:15:32,500
that I brought into it
was using fabric manipulation,
288
00:15:32,583 --> 00:15:36,791
which is kind of, at the moment,
quite a high fashion, relevant technique,
289
00:15:36,875 --> 00:15:38,916
but it has actually been used
throughout history,
290
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,375
which relatively means just,
sort of, pleating, draping,
291
00:15:43,458 --> 00:15:49,083
um, smocking, different ways of creating
flat fabric into a textured fabric
292
00:15:49,166 --> 00:15:51,708
without the addition, say,
of like adding trims,
293
00:15:51,791 --> 00:15:55,083
or, sort of, any kind of,
like, an addition.
294
00:15:55,166 --> 00:15:58,041
So, it creates sort of
an architectural shape
295
00:15:58,125 --> 00:16:02,041
and visually creates
an interesting surface to the costume.
296
00:16:02,666 --> 00:16:05,291
As far as the world goes,
with the costumes and the sets,
297
00:16:05,375 --> 00:16:08,166
it-- it feels to me like a found world.
298
00:16:08,250 --> 00:16:11,166
It's not that we're make-believing
or creating,
299
00:16:11,250 --> 00:16:14,375
it feels like we've found this world,
and for a story like The Witcher,
300
00:16:14,458 --> 00:16:17,375
I think that's really important
because it grounds it in reality.
301
00:16:17,458 --> 00:16:19,791
One of the big things
that was discussed was that
302
00:16:19,875 --> 00:16:21,833
this is not an earthbound history;
303
00:16:21,916 --> 00:16:25,541
you know, the Continent is the Continent
and it has its own set of rules.
304
00:16:27,416 --> 00:16:29,791
It has the Elder Races
and there's a history
305
00:16:29,875 --> 00:16:32,291
and there's the monoliths,
and there's a-- there...
306
00:16:32,375 --> 00:16:35,208
We're sort of peeling away
layers of the onion
307
00:16:35,291 --> 00:16:40,875
and beginning to do so in series one
and there are a lot more layers that come.
308
00:16:40,958 --> 00:16:45,500
So, we wanted to be able to hint at that,
sort of tease a little bit
309
00:16:45,583 --> 00:16:48,541
what might be revealed
as we get further into the story.
310
00:16:49,958 --> 00:16:52,833
It's a world of magic,
and because of that, it's--
311
00:16:53,250 --> 00:16:55,416
it's limitless, you can do anything...
312
00:16:55,500 --> 00:16:56,708
I did it!
313
00:16:56,791 --> 00:16:59,708
...but with that comes a hell of a lot
of struggle as well, and danger.
314
00:17:00,916 --> 00:17:02,750
It's a very dark...
315
00:17:02,833 --> 00:17:03,666
[man] Now!
316
00:17:03,750 --> 00:17:05,208
[Chalotra] ...violent world.
317
00:17:10,625 --> 00:17:13,750
Where we, sort of, dig into that
on a really practical level is-- is,
318
00:17:13,833 --> 00:17:16,958
uh, how does magic work in our series?
319
00:17:17,375 --> 00:17:19,916
Magic is really interesting;
we call it "chaos."
320
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,916
And the cool thing
about playing with chaos is that
321
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,000
we always say
there's a give and take to it.
322
00:17:25,083 --> 00:17:28,916
What we didn't want to do is have a show
where our characters could perform magic
323
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,416
to get in or out of any tricky situation.
324
00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:32,833
There's no, sort of, drama there.
325
00:17:32,916 --> 00:17:34,041
I'm doing it!
326
00:17:34,125 --> 00:17:35,291
Your hand!
327
00:17:35,666 --> 00:17:37,458
[panicked shrieks]
328
00:17:37,541 --> 00:17:40,375
[piercing screams]
329
00:17:40,458 --> 00:17:41,666
[Ndiweni] Chaos is everywhere.
330
00:17:41,750 --> 00:17:45,666
We live in a world where there will be
and there is a lot of chaos,
331
00:17:45,750 --> 00:17:49,041
and there are some people
who have the ability to take chaos
332
00:17:49,125 --> 00:17:51,458
and make it into something positive
333
00:17:51,541 --> 00:17:54,333
or contain it in a way
that it's no longer dangerous.
334
00:17:55,083 --> 00:17:57,333
[Chalotra] Magic is...
335
00:17:58,250 --> 00:18:00,750
It comes to people in different ways,
336
00:18:01,375 --> 00:18:05,208
depending on where it's inherited from,
337
00:18:05,708 --> 00:18:09,125
and the way you channel it,
there's a discipline to it and...
338
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:11,583
not everyone can do it.
339
00:18:13,708 --> 00:18:16,375
When we started filming, shooting,
340
00:18:16,458 --> 00:18:19,500
you know it says,
"...and Mousesack conjures a wall,"
341
00:18:19,583 --> 00:18:24,833
or conjures something up and, you know,
y-you stand with your director
342
00:18:24,916 --> 00:18:28,125
and, um, Lauren Hissrich, the showrunner,
343
00:18:28,208 --> 00:18:31,416
you say, "Okay, this is how
I think Mousesack should,
344
00:18:31,833 --> 00:18:34,375
um, bring the energy into the room
345
00:18:35,041 --> 00:18:37,083
and, um, what do you think?"
346
00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:40,000
[laughing] And-- and so we try stuff.
347
00:18:40,083 --> 00:18:44,458
Um, it has to be otherworldly
and it should come from something unique
348
00:18:44,791 --> 00:18:47,208
that you feel would give you
a powerful energy
349
00:18:47,958 --> 00:18:49,833
and, um, in the end, you know,
350
00:18:50,666 --> 00:18:55,541
it's very still, and out of the chaos
comes control.
351
00:18:57,375 --> 00:19:00,458
-[people screaming]
-[Yennefer breathing heavily]
352
00:19:00,541 --> 00:19:02,416
[Chalotra] Initially, from the audition...
353
00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:03,541
[Yennefer grunts]
354
00:19:03,625 --> 00:19:05,958
[Chalotra] ...I didn't really know
anything about Yennefer.
355
00:19:06,916 --> 00:19:10,375
It was the power she had in the scene
that I was playing,
356
00:19:11,291 --> 00:19:12,416
and...
357
00:19:13,416 --> 00:19:18,125
then I looked, obviously,
researched the character and...
358
00:19:19,250 --> 00:19:21,000
got to know her from the books.
359
00:19:21,083 --> 00:19:23,416
[Chalotra laughing]
360
00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:27,875
Um, I was curious as to why she was
presenting herself in the way she was
361
00:19:27,958 --> 00:19:29,333
and I was...
362
00:19:29,750 --> 00:19:33,583
and I wanted to figure out
what her struggle was.
363
00:19:33,666 --> 00:19:37,250
And I think for any actor...
364
00:19:37,333 --> 00:19:38,333
um...
365
00:19:38,625 --> 00:19:41,000
that-- the arc that she goes through
366
00:19:41,791 --> 00:19:45,166
is an incredible challenge.
367
00:19:46,333 --> 00:19:50,625
And I-I love discovering more about her
368
00:19:51,041 --> 00:19:56,125
the more I read
and the more I play her, I suppose.
369
00:19:58,125 --> 00:20:03,416
Anya has brought a depth to the role
of Yennefer that is extraordinary.
370
00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:09,750
I think fans and newcomers to the story
will absolutely fall in love with her.
371
00:20:10,625 --> 00:20:13,250
It was so important to get a character,
or an actress rather,
372
00:20:13,333 --> 00:20:16,083
who could really go through
the transformation that was needed,
373
00:20:16,166 --> 00:20:17,666
could really play a young girl,
374
00:20:17,750 --> 00:20:18,916
who physically had the chops
375
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,333
to be able to play with a disfigurement
that Yennefer has, um,
376
00:20:22,416 --> 00:20:27,875
and then to go through the transformation
into an incredibly powerful figure,
377
00:20:28,625 --> 00:20:32,583
but also a figure who is torn,
who's absolutely desperately torn.
378
00:20:32,666 --> 00:20:35,541
So you needed somebody
who really had the chops to do that,
379
00:20:35,625 --> 00:20:36,791
and Anya delivers that
380
00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:38,333
in spades.
381
00:20:38,708 --> 00:20:41,666
[gentle guitar music playing]
382
00:20:41,750 --> 00:20:45,875
At the heart of our series
are Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri.
383
00:20:45,958 --> 00:20:48,333
And what's fun in the first season,
384
00:20:48,416 --> 00:20:51,500
is that they're never all three
in the same place at the same time.
385
00:20:51,583 --> 00:20:55,875
They're kind of on a crash course
to one another.
386
00:20:56,333 --> 00:20:58,916
I think the parallel timelines
387
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,625
I think is a really interesting mechanism
to tell the story
388
00:21:02,708 --> 00:21:05,625
and I think something that's interesting
about those parallel stories
389
00:21:05,708 --> 00:21:10,041
is when you first start to watch this,
you're going to watch it through one lens,
390
00:21:10,125 --> 00:21:13,666
then when you get to a certain point
you realize these stories will converge,
391
00:21:13,750 --> 00:21:16,750
I think it's really interesting
to then go back and to relook
392
00:21:16,833 --> 00:21:20,416
and you can look for moments where
someone's taking a look to somebody else
393
00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:22,750
and you see it
through a completely different...
394
00:21:22,833 --> 00:21:24,791
through a completely different lens.
395
00:21:24,875 --> 00:21:26,291
[indistinct chatter]
396
00:21:28,250 --> 00:21:31,500
[Hissrich] The great thing about Destiny
is Destiny is an end
397
00:21:31,583 --> 00:21:33,583
based on the choices that you make.
398
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,916
So, that's how we kind of see
this first season,
399
00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,666
as a series of choices
400
00:21:38,750 --> 00:21:41,083
that lead these characters
toward one another.
401
00:21:41,416 --> 00:21:45,750
And I think that what Lauren
and her team wrote so well
402
00:21:45,833 --> 00:21:50,375
was characters that made sense,
that actually felt like you and me,
403
00:21:50,458 --> 00:21:54,291
that were actually normal people
in the fantasy world,
404
00:21:54,875 --> 00:21:57,958
and I think that's why
the series will be so strong.
405
00:21:58,041 --> 00:22:01,708
So, it's that we feel for these people
because we understand them.
406
00:22:03,250 --> 00:22:05,750
I think everyone likes to see themselves
in stories, don't they?
407
00:22:05,833 --> 00:22:07,583
I mean,
that's why we all watch television,
408
00:22:07,666 --> 00:22:11,791
it's why we all read books
or go to the movies or play video games.
409
00:22:11,958 --> 00:22:15,083
You want to find how you are represented.
410
00:22:15,166 --> 00:22:16,041
[baby cries]
411
00:22:16,125 --> 00:22:18,541
I think that's...
When you're coming into a world like this,
412
00:22:18,625 --> 00:22:20,041
it's finding those metaphors
413
00:22:20,500 --> 00:22:22,083
for, you know, adolescence,
414
00:22:22,166 --> 00:22:24,500
which is what Ciri's journey is
in some cases.
415
00:22:24,625 --> 00:22:27,250
It's, "Oh my gosh,
I have this magical power
416
00:22:27,333 --> 00:22:29,500
and I don't know
what's going on with my body."
417
00:22:29,583 --> 00:22:32,416
That's adolescence for so many people,
male or female,
418
00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:35,833
and it's kind of finding those touchstones
where you can take the fantastical
419
00:22:35,916 --> 00:22:38,875
and root it in something
that everybody can kind of relate to
420
00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:40,791
and has experienced in their own lives.
421
00:22:42,250 --> 00:22:44,875
[Allan] Geralt has being orphaned
as a child as well,
422
00:22:44,958 --> 00:22:47,583
so I think it's a massive thing is, um...
423
00:22:47,666 --> 00:22:48,916
[indistinct chatter]
424
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:50,291
...is people...
425
00:22:51,083 --> 00:22:53,666
being together
and having people around
426
00:22:53,750 --> 00:22:58,500
that care for you,
and I think that's what they're all after.
427
00:22:59,625 --> 00:23:04,041
What I like about our adaptation
and about what we are doing here
428
00:23:04,625 --> 00:23:08,166
is a very, very heavy focus on emotions
and the relationships.
429
00:23:08,250 --> 00:23:10,708
I think it's-- it's just beautiful.
430
00:23:11,583 --> 00:23:13,541
And all those things are in the books,
431
00:23:13,625 --> 00:23:16,250
and they are very, very important
in the books,
432
00:23:16,333 --> 00:23:19,583
but I think we are giving it
even more attention
433
00:23:19,666 --> 00:23:22,291
and we are bringing it
into a different level.
434
00:23:24,125 --> 00:23:27,250
One of the great elements,
of course, of this story, which is...
435
00:23:27,333 --> 00:23:29,750
I'm very glad that Lauren
436
00:23:29,833 --> 00:23:32,750
and her team
of incredible writers has kept,
437
00:23:32,833 --> 00:23:36,875
because I think it's a very important
part of this world, is the humor,
438
00:23:37,333 --> 00:23:42,375
and it can be very funny at times,
within the destruction and the darkness.
439
00:23:42,958 --> 00:23:44,791
There's always these pops of humor.
440
00:23:45,375 --> 00:23:49,708
What I love about
what Henry has brought to the character,
441
00:23:49,791 --> 00:23:52,916
and, in fact, the writers have brought
to the whole piece...
442
00:23:53,958 --> 00:23:54,958
it's almost--
443
00:23:55,041 --> 00:23:56,333
I mean, you can say it's modern,
444
00:23:56,416 --> 00:23:58,875
but you can also say, actually,
it's timeless humor.
445
00:23:58,958 --> 00:24:02,625
Why are you dressed
like a sad silk trader?
446
00:24:03,125 --> 00:24:06,583
And also the way Henry does the humor,
447
00:24:07,375 --> 00:24:08,958
uh, brings his humor,
448
00:24:09,041 --> 00:24:12,208
because he has a giggle about him,
he has a tickle about him, very much so.
449
00:24:12,541 --> 00:24:16,291
Everyone loves a white knight,
but a white knight with a dry
450
00:24:16,375 --> 00:24:18,000
and slightly off sense of humor
451
00:24:18,916 --> 00:24:21,291
is-- is more enjoyable to watch
and to play.
452
00:24:21,375 --> 00:24:24,250
I've watched Henry and Joey
do some of their scenes
453
00:24:24,416 --> 00:24:27,166
and I think there's definitely a bit of -
I always say this -
454
00:24:27,250 --> 00:24:30,958
there's definitely a bit of a Shrek
and Donkey relationship going on there.
455
00:24:31,041 --> 00:24:32,791
Come on, Geralt, tell me. Be honest.
456
00:24:33,333 --> 00:24:35,166
How's my singing?
457
00:24:36,250 --> 00:24:37,875
[water splashing]
458
00:24:37,958 --> 00:24:40,666
It's like ordering a pie
and finding it has no filling.
459
00:24:41,250 --> 00:24:45,791
I remember the email coming in
about 24 hours before the audition,
460
00:24:45,875 --> 00:24:49,833
panicking so...
so strongly because I realized
461
00:24:49,916 --> 00:24:52,791
how fantastic
the role of Jaskier really was.
462
00:24:53,583 --> 00:24:56,583
My sister, at the time, she said,
463
00:24:56,666 --> 00:24:59,791
"How are you doing? What's going on?
There's something's different about you."
464
00:24:59,875 --> 00:25:02,833
And I said, "Yeah,
have a read of this character."
465
00:25:03,416 --> 00:25:07,583
And her response was, "Joey,
are we in a dream that you are having?
466
00:25:08,083 --> 00:25:10,541
Because this is so perfect."
467
00:25:10,625 --> 00:25:12,625
You have the most incredible neck.
468
00:25:13,791 --> 00:25:16,375
-It's like a-- a sexy goose.
-[Geralt groans]
469
00:25:16,458 --> 00:25:19,750
And from then on,
throughout the audition process
470
00:25:19,833 --> 00:25:24,666
and also landing the role,
everything felt incredibly exciting
471
00:25:24,750 --> 00:25:26,541
but weirdly normal.
472
00:25:26,625 --> 00:25:29,458
This was... meant to happen.
473
00:25:30,416 --> 00:25:35,166
Every single day has been an exploration
in that natural feeling
474
00:25:35,250 --> 00:25:39,375
and feeling at home,
and finding, creating a new family.
475
00:25:39,458 --> 00:25:41,708
Run away. Run away, Geralt! Oh God!
476
00:25:42,833 --> 00:25:43,666
Geralt!
477
00:25:43,916 --> 00:25:46,541
Had to get it from the inside.
I'll take what I'm owed.
478
00:25:46,625 --> 00:25:50,416
♪ Toss a coin to your Witcher
O, Valley of Plenty ♪
479
00:25:50,791 --> 00:25:52,000
♪ Whoa-ho-ho ♪
480
00:25:52,083 --> 00:25:53,208
[all] ♪ Toss a coin... ♪
481
00:25:53,291 --> 00:25:55,166
[Batey] This song, uh, uh...
482
00:25:55,958 --> 00:25:58,833
was written by our composers,
Sonya and Giona, who are...
483
00:25:58,916 --> 00:26:02,500
uh, who went through
various different versions of it.
484
00:26:02,583 --> 00:26:05,916
Eventually, what we found was, em...
485
00:26:06,708 --> 00:26:11,833
was a folk-like quality to this song
that we really wanted it to...
486
00:26:12,166 --> 00:26:14,208
to travel across this land,
487
00:26:14,291 --> 00:26:15,750
to be...
488
00:26:16,291 --> 00:26:19,500
reminiscent of those folk songs
of the days of yore
489
00:26:19,583 --> 00:26:21,500
where there's a Celtic twang to it.
490
00:26:21,583 --> 00:26:24,791
But also there's a slightly "Pop-y" catch.
491
00:26:24,875 --> 00:26:28,083
It's a fantastic thing
for Jaskier to be able to bring to...
492
00:26:28,791 --> 00:26:31,875
to the Continent, and for the composers
to bring to the show,
493
00:26:31,958 --> 00:26:34,458
is that it is an exercise in PR.
494
00:26:34,541 --> 00:26:36,500
He starts to come up with this song
495
00:26:36,583 --> 00:26:40,041
and Geralt of Rivia immediately notices
that he says...
496
00:26:40,125 --> 00:26:41,833
That's not how it happened.
497
00:26:42,708 --> 00:26:44,291
Where's your new-found respect?
498
00:26:46,666 --> 00:26:48,333
Respect doesn't make history.
499
00:26:49,250 --> 00:26:51,000
[Batey] And I think he understands...
500
00:26:51,875 --> 00:26:53,000
hu-- people...
501
00:26:53,666 --> 00:26:56,250
in a-- in a different way to Geralt.
502
00:26:56,333 --> 00:26:59,000
He understands that in order
to make your way in this world,
503
00:26:59,458 --> 00:27:02,125
sometimes you've got
to fudge the edges a little bit.
504
00:27:02,791 --> 00:27:09,208
♪ Toss a coin to your Witcher
Oh, valley of plenty ♪
505
00:27:09,291 --> 00:27:14,000
♪ Hee ♪
506
00:27:17,416 --> 00:27:20,208
[indistinct shouting]
507
00:27:20,291 --> 00:27:22,625
There's a huge amount of action
in the series,
508
00:27:22,708 --> 00:27:26,041
and to reflect
the diversity of the stories,
509
00:27:26,125 --> 00:27:30,458
um, we've had a stunt coordinator
who's overseeing the entire season,
510
00:27:30,541 --> 00:27:31,375
Franklin Henson,
511
00:27:31,833 --> 00:27:34,250
um, who's done a phenomenal job,
512
00:27:34,333 --> 00:27:40,458
uh, at just constantly creating
and managing action through the season.
513
00:27:40,791 --> 00:27:45,166
Um, but then to help reflect
the diversity of the different stories,
514
00:27:45,375 --> 00:27:46,833
we've also brought people in
515
00:27:46,916 --> 00:27:50,125
to come and bring different flavors
in the action.
516
00:27:51,125 --> 00:27:53,750
We brought on a fight coordinator,
517
00:27:54,375 --> 00:27:55,208
Wolfgang,
518
00:27:55,791 --> 00:27:57,375
who has come to help us
519
00:27:57,458 --> 00:28:00,583
um, with some of the fights
that are early on in the season.
520
00:28:02,083 --> 00:28:04,500
-Everything is A-okay.
-[Wolfgang laughing]
521
00:28:04,791 --> 00:28:06,500
It's... He's a positive Witcher.
522
00:28:06,583 --> 00:28:10,000
[Emanuel] The moment
where Geralt is faced with,
523
00:28:10,083 --> 00:28:12,500
uh, these brigands with Renfri's gang.
524
00:28:12,583 --> 00:28:16,000
And I think it's interesting
because we've teased at what Geralt can do
525
00:28:16,083 --> 00:28:18,708
but, at this moment,
we haven't seen what he can do,
526
00:28:19,125 --> 00:28:21,583
and you end up in a Mexican standoff
in this town,
527
00:28:21,666 --> 00:28:24,375
where he's faced with
these seven bad guys.
528
00:28:24,875 --> 00:28:27,458
[Cavill grunting]
529
00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:28,666
[man 1 groans]
530
00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:30,333
[man 2 chuckling]
531
00:28:30,416 --> 00:28:31,833
[man 3] Cameras cut, thank you.
532
00:28:31,916 --> 00:28:34,250
[people laughing]
533
00:28:34,333 --> 00:28:38,083
[Emanuel] We're incredibly lucky
to have Henry as our, uh, as our Geralt.
534
00:28:38,750 --> 00:28:42,000
He brings that quiet resolve
and that natural strength,
535
00:28:42,083 --> 00:28:44,083
obviously, that he has.
536
00:28:44,166 --> 00:28:48,083
He does all his own stunts,
which is a producer's worst nightmare.
537
00:28:48,166 --> 00:28:51,083
If it's Geralt on the screen,
that's Henry...
538
00:28:51,916 --> 00:28:55,791
and he will probably have
ten days of training to do those fights
539
00:28:55,875 --> 00:28:59,208
and it's interesting
because what the fight team will do
540
00:28:59,291 --> 00:29:01,916
is to really lean into Henry's strengths.
541
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,958
I mean, he is a, you know,
he is a huge strong person,
542
00:29:06,041 --> 00:29:07,583
um, and, uh...
543
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,916
And it's really interesting when you lean
into people's, you know, natural skills
544
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,000
how much more believable something looks.
545
00:29:14,083 --> 00:29:16,291
But, yeah,
it's about ten days of rehearsals
546
00:29:16,375 --> 00:29:18,208
for a fight that we'll shoot in two days,
547
00:29:18,666 --> 00:29:20,416
that will be on screen
for about two minutes.
548
00:29:22,583 --> 00:29:26,166
And the idea is that, it's to really have,
like, great set pieces,
549
00:29:26,250 --> 00:29:29,000
um, that reflect the diversity
of the stories.
550
00:29:29,500 --> 00:29:32,541
And I think it's really exciting
that you can watch a whole season
551
00:29:32,625 --> 00:29:35,291
and it's never gonna feel
like "same-y" action,
552
00:29:35,416 --> 00:29:36,750
it's all very different.
553
00:29:37,333 --> 00:29:40,125
-[rumbling]
-[swooshing]
554
00:29:44,250 --> 00:29:48,125
The Witcher stories, I mean, it touches on
everything we're dealing with now:
555
00:29:48,208 --> 00:29:50,541
the fallout of colonialism,
556
00:29:50,958 --> 00:29:53,750
class disparity with the haves
and the have-nots,
557
00:29:53,916 --> 00:29:56,250
indigenous cultures getting fucked over,
558
00:29:56,541 --> 00:29:58,458
racism, sexism.
559
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:00,166
The world gone mad.
560
00:30:00,250 --> 00:30:02,083
People having power
that shouldn't have power,
561
00:30:02,166 --> 00:30:05,375
people rising up, constant flux.
562
00:30:05,958 --> 00:30:09,958
This world is an ocean and is a tempest
and that's what The Witcher is.
563
00:30:12,333 --> 00:30:16,375
If I had to boil it down,
I would say that the themes...
564
00:30:16,458 --> 00:30:18,875
the theme that resonates
with me most is, sort of,
565
00:30:18,958 --> 00:30:20,791
blurring the lines of good and evil.
566
00:30:20,875 --> 00:30:24,458
And it's my goal that that's what people
talk about after they watch the show,
567
00:30:24,541 --> 00:30:27,875
is that we've worked really hard
to make sure there's not really good guys
568
00:30:27,958 --> 00:30:29,458
or bad guys in our world.
569
00:30:29,750 --> 00:30:33,208
If you start watching episode one,
the person that you think is good
570
00:30:33,291 --> 00:30:35,291
that you think is the hero of the story,
571
00:30:35,375 --> 00:30:37,500
by the end, you may feel
very differently about
572
00:30:37,583 --> 00:30:40,541
because, suddenly,
you have a different perspective.
573
00:30:42,416 --> 00:30:45,166
But love... is one of the strong themes...
574
00:30:46,125 --> 00:30:47,041
and...
575
00:30:47,958 --> 00:30:49,583
its ability to change a person.
576
00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:55,916
And I think something that's interesting
is as we've gone along we've all learnt
577
00:30:56,333 --> 00:30:57,458
kind of what the...
578
00:30:57,958 --> 00:31:01,208
what the tone of the show is
and who these characters are,
579
00:31:01,333 --> 00:31:04,750
and it's really interesting as we go on
to continue to develop that.
580
00:31:06,458 --> 00:31:10,166
Again, I think it's really exciting
to see where the show will go to next.
581
00:31:10,250 --> 00:31:14,625
[somber violin music playing]
582
00:31:15,291 --> 00:31:16,666
[Bagiński] It's a dream come true.
583
00:31:16,750 --> 00:31:20,333
It's one of those situations where
you're really fighting for something
584
00:31:20,416 --> 00:31:23,791
for so long that you stop believing that
it will happen and suddenly it happens.
585
00:31:24,208 --> 00:31:25,125
Excited?
586
00:31:25,208 --> 00:31:26,750
I am, all the time.
587
00:31:27,166 --> 00:31:29,000
It's just a great adventure.
588
00:31:29,458 --> 00:31:33,166
[Hissrich] I wanted to introduce the world
to the three of them at the same time
589
00:31:33,250 --> 00:31:36,750
and allow them each to really flourish
as characters on their own.
590
00:31:37,416 --> 00:31:40,375
And it's really fun
to sort of track each of them
591
00:31:40,458 --> 00:31:44,083
and see that they do need each other,
they really do need family.
592
00:31:44,166 --> 00:31:46,750
["The Song Of The White Wolf"
by Declan de Barra playing]
593
00:31:46,833 --> 00:31:48,083
Above all of that,
594
00:31:48,250 --> 00:31:53,250
how are Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer
going to factor into this Continent
595
00:31:53,333 --> 00:31:57,375
that is at war
and appears to be at war over Ciri?
596
00:31:57,458 --> 00:31:59,250
[music continues]
597
00:31:59,333 --> 00:32:01,083
So, there's so much set up.
598
00:32:02,166 --> 00:32:04,333
Stick with us, there's much more to come.
599
00:32:04,416 --> 00:32:06,000
[music continues]
600
00:32:06,083 --> 00:32:10,416
♪ The Song of the White Wolf ♪
601
00:32:10,500 --> 00:32:14,958
♪ Is cold as driven snow ♪
602
00:32:17,250 --> 00:32:21,875
♪ Bear not your eyes upon him ♪