The Witcher Netflix casting scripts leak but don't panic
"I'm not meant for balls."
Two small script excerpts linked to the in-development Witcher Netflix show have leaked, and have been verified as authentic.
The scenes were posted on Reddit. One is between Yennefer and Geralt, as they prepare for a sorceress ball Geralt really doesn't want to go to, and the other is between Yennefer and a nameless King whose reign she's propping up but who repulses her.
The scenes were verified authentic by the series showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich, who told fans not to worry, she'd seen the leaks coming, which is why the excerpts were written for casting purposes only and will not be in the final show. "It happened. As we knew it would. Don't worry. All is okay in the Witcher world," Hissrich wrote on Twitter.
Nevertheless, the debate around the leaks impressed her. "It's fascinating to watch the PASSIONATE debate about Geralt's and Yen's thoughts/emotions/intentions on the casting sides," she wrote - "casting sides" being the name given to casting scripts like these. "Everything from 'this reads like canon' to 'Geralt would NEVER say that word'. I only hope Witcher fans are as invested in the, you know, actual series."
The Witcher Netflix series was announced in May 2017, and will air sometime in 2020, most likely. It's a joint venture between Polish company Platige, which has made many cinematics for The Witcher video games in the past, Netflix and Witcher inventor Andrzej Sapkowski (who I interviewed once). But it has nothing to do with game-maker CD Projekt Red.
The Witcher Netflix series will be eight episodes long. No actors have been confirmed or strongly linked with the series but Hissrich has previously suggested Netflix is not skimping on the budget. "I have some dream casting happening..." Hissrich tweeted in April this year. Filming will take place in Eastern Europe.