The Witcher

The Witcher  is a  fantasy   drama  television series created by  Lauren Schmidt Hissrich  for  Netflix . It is based on the book series  of the same name  by Polish writer  Andrzej Sapkowski . Set on a fictional,  medieval -inspired landmass known as the Continent,  The Witcher  explores the legend of  Geralt of Rivia ,  Yennefer of Vengerberg  and  Princess Ciri . It stars  Henry Cavill ,  Anya Chalotra , and  Freya Allan . The first season, consisting of eight episodes, was released on Netflix on December 20, 2019. It was based on  The Last Wish  and  Sword of Destiny , which are collections of  short stories  that precede the main  The Witcher   saga . The second season, also consisting of eight episodes and based on the novel  Blood of Elves , released on December 17, 2021. In September 2021, Netflix renewed the series for a third season, which will be released in mid-2023. This will be followed by a fourth season, with  Liam Hemsworth  taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia. An  animated   origin story  film,  The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf , was released on August 23, 2021. A  prequel   miniseries ,  The Witcher: Blood Origin , featuring action star  Michelle Yeoh , was released on December 25, 2022.