The Witcher Creator Says "They Never Listen to Me" for Adaptations

While The Witcher has been a pretty big success for Netflix over the last few years, one of the most common complaints about the series is that it doesn't adhere close enough to the source material. That has proven frustrating for a lot of people, including former series lead Henry Cavill, who worked to slip in more references to the book. Apparently no one at Netflix listened much to writer Andrzej Sapkowski, either. In an interview with Cerealkillerz at Vienna Comic Con, Sapkowski talked about his visit to the set of the show, and his attempt to offer some ideas. 

"Oh well, the set was tremendous, tremendous, awesome," Sapkowski joked. "But no, maybe I gave them some ideas, but they never listen to me. They never listen to me. But it's normal, it's normal. 'Who's this? It's the writer, it's nobody.'"

Sapkowski's Thoughts on The Witcher

Unfortunately, directors and showrunners that handle adaptations of popular books and novels often neglect to take into consideration the opinions of the original writer. Sapkowski is hardly the only one to feel this way. Even Stephen King has had harsh things to say about the adaptations his books have inspired, including well-received films like The Shining. It can be very hard to bring a beloved written work to life in another medium, and things often get left on the cutting room floor. 

Sapkowski has never shied away from sharing his thoughts on adaptations of his works. Earlier this year, the author was asked about his thoughts on the Netflix series at the Taipei International Book Exhibition. During the panel, Sapkowski replied with "I've seen better. I've seen worse." That doesn't sound great, but if Sapkowski truly hated the show, he likely would have said so. The author has had harsh words to share about the 2001 live-action movie The Hexer, and its follow-up television series. 

The Witcher and Henry Cavill

This year saw the release of The Witcher Season 3, which marked the final one for actor Henry Cavill. A huge fan of Sapkowski's books, Cavill seemed like the perfect candidate to play Geralt of Rivia. However, over the last few years, there have been a number of hints that Cavill was unhappy with the way the show was addressing the source material. To this day, no official reason has been given for Cavill's departure from the series, though many have speculated that the quality of the adaptation was a source of frustration. Regardless of the actual reason, Cavill will not be back for Season 4 of The Witcher. Instead, the role of Geralt will be played by actor Liam Hemsworth, who apparently auditioned to play Geralt prior to Cavill's casting. 

Are you surprised that the showrunners of The Witcher didn't listen to Sapkowski's suggestions? How do you feel about the Netflix series? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Redanian Intelligence]