Andrzej Sapkowski, creator of The Witcher franchise and the author of the original novels, has shared that Netflix “never listened” to his ideas for the hit fantasy series.
Speaking to gaming YouTuber CerealKillerz at Comic Con, Sapkowski shared that he had visited the set of the Netflix TV show during production and that he had shared some creative input but that Netflix “never listened” to his ideas.
The Polish author joked about being brushed off by Netflix: “The set was tremendous. Tremendous… I gave them some ideas but they never listened to me. It’s normal. ‘Who’s this? It’s a writer. It’s nobody.’”
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However, Sapkowski alluded to the fact that his books aren’t always adapted in the way he envisions them: “My raw material when I work is only letters. I don’t describe pictures. I don’t see any pictures. I use the letters only because I know my reader will see the letters only. I look at these and say, ‘Whoa! This is the way they picture it. Interesting!’ Sometimes it’s very nice for me, sympathetic. Sometimes it isn’t. But I will not elaborate.”
The first three seasons of The Witcher on Netflix saw Henry Cavill take on the role of Geralt of Rivia, though he has since departed the role. While the actor has yet to comment on why he was stepping down from the role, fans believe it is due to the fact that Netflix was “disrespecting” the source material, which Cavill is a big fan of.
Liam Hemsworth will replace Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in the show’s fourth season. The show’s third season was released on Netflix earlier this year.