The Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski says Netflix ignored his ideas for the TV show; frustrated fans respond by saying that much is obvious.
Even before Season 1 debuted, a contingent of diehard Witcher fans questioned the faithfulness of the television adaptation. Many consider their early concerns justified given the content of the first three seasons.
Henry Cavill’s departure from the role of Geralt only compounded fan frustrations, as did the Netflix series’ divisive third season.
In the past, novelist and franchise creator Andrzej Sapkowski has straddled the line when discussing the Netflix adaptation. Speaking at the Taipei International Book Exhibition earlier this year, the writer reportedly said of the show – “I’ve seen better. I’ve seen worse.” A more recent interview featuring Sapkowski sees him offer some insight into his creative involvement in the show.
The Witcher creator says Netflix never listened to his ideas
YouTuber Cerealkillerz interviewed Andrzej Sapkowski during Vienna Comic Con, asking about his influences, The Witcher books, and, of course, the ongoing television series.
Towards the end of the interview, the YouTuber asked Sapkowski about his Witcher set visit, specifically wondering if the writer shared any ideas with the Netflix team. The novelist explained,
“Yeah, well, the set was tremendous, you know tremendous… maybe I gave them some ideas, but they never listen to me,” he laughed heartily. “They never listen to me. But it’s normal, it’s normal. ‘Who’s this? It’s the writer, it’s nobody,‘” he added in jest. (Talk about The Witcher Netflix series begins around the 11:07 mark.)
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The interview made its way to The Witcher subreddit, with a thread where some say Sapkowski’s comment about Netflix ignoring his ideas isn’t a surprise.
Reads one such comment, “As could be expected, as everyone could have guessed by the awful writing and plotlines.”
Others argue that he shouldn’t complain since opted not to be too involved early on. Sapkowski previously stated in a 2020 Gizmodo interview that he didn’t want to interfere with the Witcher adaptation‘s creation and never insisted on anything in particular.
With this in mind, one Redditor commented: “If he wanted Netflix to follow his story he should’ve been more involved [in the] show…”
Either way, all eyes are on how The Witcher crew will handle Liam Hemsworth assuming the role of Geralt. But with Season 4 expected to begin filming in 2024, the wait could prove lengthy.
