Call on HBO/Starz/Netflix to create a "Witcher" television series

[Garrison72]

The time for this is past. GOT rules, even if it's on a major slide, quality wise. In its wake are a number of great ( American Gods) and not so great fantasy IPs surfacing in both TV and movies. Witcher would seem little more than a derivative curiosity to American viewers. I've said it before - Sapkowski and his publishers had their chance to break into the western market, but it's pointless now. The greatest exposure he'll have is the games. If they do any large budget films, it'll have to be a Polish production.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

The time for this is past.

Not really. Witcher was relatively obscure in US, and now with bigger exposure through games there is a growing interest, including in books. Actually books saw a very significant spike in interest. So films will find interested audience as well, especially if they are well made.

And there is nothing wrong with making it a Polish production for English speaking audience.

 

[dragonbird]

So what did they mean in the past about making more than games?

Well, so far, comic books and physical merchandise.

 

[enk1]

I think the main problem with HBO is that the UK/US readers don't have all the books translated yet.
So, look at this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher#Translations
The novels have been translated into Czech, Portuguese, German, Russian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, French, Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Swedish, Hungarian, Dutch, Chinese and Georgian.

Not in English! Quiet intresting, huh?

 

[Zyvik]

I think the main problem with HBO is that the UK/US readers don't have all the books translated yet.
So, look at this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher#Translations
The novels have been translated into Czech, Portuguese, German, Russian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, French, Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Swedish, Hungarian, Dutch, Chinese and Georgian.

Not in English! Quiet intresting, huh?

Yeah,those English translations REALLY take their time.

 

[Damariel]

They would be done with their translations if there would be bigger interest in UK/US.

Even games didn't made them hurry up so far.

 

[Zyvik]

They would be done with their translations if there would be bigger interest in UK/US.

Even games didn't made them hurry up so far.

I believe that the reason why their taking so long is because the publisher had some problems with the rights.

 

[GuyNwah]

I believe that the reason why their taking so long is because the publisher had some problems with the rights.

Those problems would have been solved quickly if there were a well-founded market for the books. Polish science fiction and fantasy has little following in the US, and a translation demands a market before it happens.

 

[Charcharo]

Those problems would have been solved quickly if there were a well-founded market for the books. Polish science fiction and fantasy has little following in the US, and a translation demands a market before it happens.

I remember Dimitri Glukhovsky had problems with getting Metro 2033 in the US.

"Glukhovsky self-published web release attracted more than 2 million readers before a single physical copy was ever printed or sold. By 2005, hard copies of the book were released for sale in Russia. Since then, Metro 2033 has gone on to be released in more than 20 countries, and in multiple languages. Naturally, Glukhovsky pursued a release in the United States as well… only to be turned down by publisher after publisher.


“The arrogance I confronted was amazing,” he says of his meetings in the States. “They said ‘American readers do not want that. It’s too weird, too strange, too exotic. It’s not set in the U.S., so American readers will not read it.’ So I decided to go with self-publishing here. I put it on Print-on-Demand on Amazon as an ebook. What I care about is for people to read what I created. " "

Fortunately, he eventually released and turned out wrong... I think... I hope...


Source:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/metro-dmitry-glukhovsky-interview/

 

[Damariel]

“They said ‘American readers do not want that. It’s too weird, too strange, too exotic. It’s not set in the U.S., so American readers will not read it.’

Pure arrogance and sense of superiority right there... speaking of Glukhovsky, I had a opportunity to see him on convention this year... cool guy but he lost his voice day before ;P. I need to buy his new book soon.

But yeah, that's pretty much why there is so much problems with English translations.

 

[Charcharo]

Pure arrogance and sense of superiority right there... speaking of Glukhovsky, I had a opportunity to see him on convention this year... cool guy but he lost his voice day before ;P. I need to buy his new book soon.

But yeah, that's pretty much why there is so much problems with English translations.

Well you also gotta remember that publishers are generally very careful with these things, especially since ... well literature in general is in a decline
*Popularity wise

 

[Damariel]

well literature in general is in a decline

Well, if I would be one of the mainstream people I would disagree with you because I love to read and talk about books (even write something from time to time... but shh) but I'm not mainstream guy and probably never will be since I consider modern mainstream more or less retarded.

 

[Charcharo]

Well, if I would be one of the mainstream people I would disagree with you because I love to read and talk about books (even write something from time to time... but shh) but I'm not mainstream guy and probably never will be since I consider modern mainstream more or less retarded.

Well mate, I love reading too. But there are statistics and trends here... I cant argue with them.. even if I want to

 

[Damariel]

@Charcharo And I don't argue with them either.... I'm just saying there is still audience for it.

And English publishers sometimes already at the beginning decide that there is no audience for it present anymore, without checking at all.

 

[GuyNwah]

You're right about the arrogance of the American sci-fi and fantasy establishment, it is amazing. Even though the Lem Affair (long nasty argument between Stanislaw Lem and the Science Fiction Writers of America) is almost 40 years old, the belief that only American authors are worth publishing is entrenched. To get thirty-year-old books by a hitherto unknown Polish author translated and published takes a miracle.

 

[Charcharo]

You're right about the arrogance of the American sci-fi and fantasy establishment, it is amazing. Even though the Lem Affair (long nasty argument between Stanislaw Lem and the Science Fiction Writers of America) is almost 40 years old, the belief that only American authors are worth publishing is entrenched. To get thirty-year-old books by a hitherto unknown Polish author translated and published takes a miracle.

Not me . Technically Glukhovsky

But I never heard of that debacle (not an US citizen). Must acquire more info.

 

[GuyNwah]

Not me . Technically Glukhovsky

But I never heard of that debacle (not an US citizen). Must acquire more info.

Like I said, nasty affair. Lem ("Solaris") was given an honorary membership in the SFWA. He promptly criticized almost all the American writers as purveyors of kitsch, except Philip K. Dick -- who turned on him and denounced him as a Marxist.

He may have been nothing of the kind, certainly not the head of a Communist conspiracy in Krakow to undermine American sci-fi, but Dick was never playing with a full deck.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Lem has very sharp satire on Bolshevik ideas about making the "new man". So he surely wasn't a sympathizer.

 

[GuyNwah]

Lem has very sharp satire on Bolshevik ideas about making the "new man". So he surely wasn't a sympathizer.

Certainly he wasn't. But that made no difference to Dick. Lem had been Dick's translator, Dick felt that his publisher had shortchanged him, and went borderline on Lem.

 

[Dragonfire12]

Not sure if anyone remembers the Earthsea Trilogy done by Ursula K Le Guin (google it, awesome read). The SyFy Channel made it into a mini series with the result being an abomination. I would hate to see the works of Andrzej Sapkowski subjected to the whim of such fools.

I believe that there were projects done for a series and movie in Poland, where the novels would probably be treated with respect. Perhaps we cold get those on Netflix, much like the Swedish version of, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its two sequels..