Nemesis44UK: Actually, if I may correct you, both Netflix and Amazon are also content creators now, with a number of exclusive movies and TV shows that are made in-house.
jakethelawyer: I agree, I was wrong. Of course Netflix is not only distributor but also supports the production of TV series, financial. However, shooting, post-production serials do other studios. I mean, that it would be nice if creators of the The Witcher serial, was invited to the work of talented studios, for example- Story Mining and Supply Company, who were engaged in the production of the Outlander serial. Was a very deep story, very realistic. And if still the production is joined by composers The Witcher game, its would be great.
It's all a dream of course, the serial would make a great.
Outlander is a Starz production, but I don't think there's any real difference these days between the methods used by premium cable companies like HBO, Starz and Showtime, versus streaming services that are also content creators, like Netflix and Amazon.
A good example is Marco Polo, which is produced and financed by Netflix. That show has AMAZING production values -- they spent $10 million an episode on the first season. That's insane. The money is well-spent, because the show looks beautiful. Likewise, shows like Orange Is The New Black and Daredevil, which are also Netflix originals, are also top-notch, with excellent production values, great casts, strong writing, etc.
And of course, we all know the amazing work HBO has done with Game of Thrones, and now Westworld as well.
I think the important thing, if you're an author whose work is being adapted, is that you sign a deal with a company like HBO, Starz or Netflix that is going to work hard to honor the source material, cast the right actors, and generally do things the right way so the focus is on the story and characters.
The question is, would a TV franchise based on The Witcher novels and games have a wide appeal, or is the built-in audience big enough to get networks/content creators interested in the project? Outlander and Game of Thrones already had huge fan bases, which made both shows immediately successful. I don't know how popular The Witcher books are, but that would be a factor.