To the surprise of many, rumors earlier in the year suggested an anime film for The Witcher was in the works at Netflix. Shortly thereafter, the streaming giant formally announced the project as The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. The anime, helmed by the live-action show’s creative team, will center on Vesemir’s origin story. But why not produce a similar project in live-action? Apparently, some of the creative team’s ambitions will only work in animation.
One of the anime’s lead writers, Beau DeMayo, explained as much in an interview with ComicBook.com. After speaking of his previous work with Disney Animation, DeMayo said,
So I was aware when [showrunner Lauren Hissrich] came and asked me to write it what we could do in animation that you cannot do in live-action. There is not necessarily always parity between those two mediums. There are things that you can animate… that will look so amazing, so badass… if you did it in live-action, it’s just going to look goofy or it’s just going to register as a little false to the human eye.
This especially holds true with regards to the monsters and magic in The Witcher. DeMayo says audiences are bound to pick up on the reasoning behind specific choices when the anime releases. He added,
And the script itself, there are certain things it takes advantage of in terms of animation that only animation can do. I think that’s what’s the most exciting thing that I’m waiting for fans to see… when you see the anime, it’s not just the events, it’s what Studio Mir has been capable of pulling off. It’s what our partners in the anime division at Netflix have been able to pull off… it is a story we could not have told in live-action in any way, shape or form. At least not with an incredible burden on production, I will say that.
Presently, neither Nightmare of the Wolf nor The Witcher Season 2 have a premiere date. The latter, however, is on track to launch sometime next year. Additionally, there is no word on whether the show’s Vesemir actor, Killing Eve alum Kim Bodnia, will voice the character in animation.
[Source: ComicBook.com]
