The Witcher Movie: Release Date, Latest News: Will It Be Better Than The 2001 Hexer?
What has been confirmed so far is that Oscar nominated director and animator Tomasz Baginski has admitted that he is working on a film based on Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher science fiction fantasy short stories and novels.
The information was confirmed by Platige Image studio, where Baginski is creative director, after a note to that effect appeared on the Polish Film Institute's website. The studio also mentioned that the upcoming film will involve actors, but not how much of it will be animated.
Platige Image specializes in computer graphics, 3D animation, and digital special effects. Baginski's animated short film The Cathedral was nominated for an Oscar in 2003. He also created the introductory videos for both the Witcher 1 and Witcher 2 games.
In the Sapkowski's books, witchers are specially trained and physically-enhanced monster-hunters with supernatural abilities. The novels and stories particularly revolve around the Witcher Geralt of Rivia and Ciri, a princess and a witcher-in-training. Sapkowski's Witcher has spawned a video game series, a graphic novel series, a 13-episode television series, and a full-length live-action feature film.
Regarding the first Witcher movie adaptation of his work, Sapkowski himself in several interviews expressed his dismay at how the film turned out. He famously said: "I can answer only with a single word, an obscene, albeit a short one. I am a Polish Catholic, it is Lent now; I cannot utter swear words." The first Witcher movie [aka The Hexer] was released in 2001 and it was lambasted by critics and fans alike.
Followers of Sapkowski's work are hoping that Baginski will be able to come up with a much better movie version of the Witcher this time around.
