Posted in: Netflix, streaming, TV | Tagged: Andrzej Sapkowski, henry cavill, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, netflix, the witcher

The Witcher Author: Netflix Ignored Ideas; Appreciates Rent Money

The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski on Netflix not listening to his ideas - but the silver lining? "I now have enough money for the rent."

It's always refreshing to see when the original content creator can get involved in his/her adaptation creatively to provide that layer of authenticity. In the case of the Netflix series The Witcher and original author Andrzej Sapkowski when he spoke at Vienna Comic-Con. While it's common practice that there's a level of autonomy with how a work translates to another medium, it never bodes well in terms of credibility when those deviations have nothing to do with the creator in the first place. When a fan asked if Sapkowski's given any feedback to Netflix on the series, "Maybe, I gave them some ideas, but they never listened to me. But it's normal," before breaking into an impression of one of an executive, "Who's this? It's a writer, it's nobody." In addition, Sapkowski touched upon how the streamer "made a series based on one short story" and that "they [Netflix] forced me to continue," possibly referencing the recently-announced The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep film (based on the short story, "A Little Sacrifice"). "I'm not complaining. Thanks to this, I now have enough money for the rent."

While the TV adaptation from Lauren Schmidt Hissrich was initially received with universal praise from fans and critics alike with the Henry Cavill-starred series, there's been significant criticism of the deviations, especially with Cavill's third and final season as it paved the way to Liam Hemsworth taking over as the role as Geralt of Rivia. Netflix made no response to Sapkowski's comments, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Beau DeMayo, a writer who worked on The Witcher seasons one and two wrote in an Instagram story in 2022, "I've been on a show — namely 'Witcher' — where some of the writers were not or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material). It's a recipe for disaster and bad morale. Fandom as a litmus test checks egos, and makes all the long nights worth it. You have to respect the work before you're allowed to add to its legacy." Hissrich responded on Instagram, "I've never mocked the books. The books are my entire livelihood. I have a great relationship with Mr. Sapkowski, and writers rooms are sacred and safe and — more than anything — supportive spaces. Don't believe everything you read." The series, which also stars Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra, is available to stream on Netflix.

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