After a recent thread on Twitter discussed Geralt’s chronic pain in The Witcher, Lauren S. Hissrich opened up about including it in the Netflix series.
As The Witcher continues filming in the United Kingdom, a disability consultant penned an eye-opening thread about the depiction of Geralt’s disability in the books written by Andrzej Sapkowski and how his condition was omitted from the CD Projekt Red games. @Mustangsart wrote on Twitter about how Geralt lives with chronic pain after a number of injuries and nerve damage. They explained that while it was disappointing to see this element of the character removed from the popular games, that it’s possible The Witcher TV series could include it. They also went on to say that having a powerful fantasy hero like Geralt adjust his fighting style to work with his disability meant a lot to them, especially when he gets frustrated at how it affects him. Needless to say, this kind of representation is much needed in mainstream film, TV and games.
The Witcher showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich saw the thread on Twitter and explained how eye-opening the thread from @Mustangsart was for her. Hissrich noted that the way she’d previously seen the character was wrong and that she wants to dig into it further in the Netflix show starring Henry Cavill. @Mustangsart (who also works on The Witcher tabletop role-playing game) also noted how important it is for people with disabilities to have positive representation that “remind them that their experiences are valued and that they aren’t going through them alone” before adding that just because Geralt is disabled doesn’t lessen his heroic nature. Take a look at The Witcher showrunner addressing the character’s condition below.
I haven't stopped thinking about this thread. I've read these books a dozen times, these specific sections, and I've not thought of it further than: "Geralt has some pain, onto the next thing."
I've been wrong.
I'm excited to dig into this more. To add this layer to our hero. https://t.co/ra3kc2bJk5
— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) November 10, 2020
the CDPR videogames – a grizzled but able-bodied monster hunter – without realising that CDPR removed that disability.
'It's only a disability, it's not that important' you may say, but it's actually VERY important. Geralt becomes disabled shortly towards the end of novel- 2/20
— mustangsart @ drained from UKGE (@mustangsart) November 9, 2020
Are you glad the showrunner plans to include representation of Geralt’s disability in the series? Were you aware of that aspect to the character? Sound-off in the comments below!
Here is the official synopsis for the first season of Netflix’s The Witcher:
Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Freya Allan as Ciri, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Jodhi May as Queen Calanthe, Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson as Eist, Adam Levy as Mousesack, MyAnna Buring as Aretuza, and Millie Brady as Princess Renfri, with Mimi Ndiweni and Therica Wilson-Read as novice sorcerers.
The Witcher season one is now available on Netflix. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for all the latest news surrounding The Witcher and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more video content in the future!
Source: Twitter
