Andrzej Sapkowski, creator of The Witcher series and author of the novels, claimed Netflix never listened to his feedback for the TV show.
The Polish author’s novels have since been adapted to video games via CD Projekt Red and a live-action TV series for Netflix via Lauren Schmidt Hissrich whose first season debuted in 2019.
At Vienna Comic Con, Sapkowski was questioned about these adaptations which stem from his original foundations. In an interview with Cerealkillers, the author stated that each visual adaptation of his The Witcher franchise was “strange” to see because he only uses words as a writer.
Sapkowski notes that he finds exploring other people’s interpretations of his works “interesting”, as it often comes as a welcome surprise, but other times not.
For example, Sapkowski noted that the Netflix series had a “tremendous” set, he also said that Netflix never took any of his personal feedback into account. He even went so far as to say, “I gave them some ideas, but they never listened to me. Who’s this? It’s a writer, it’s nobody.”
The Witcher TV series has been a hit, most especially with the first two seasons starring Henry Cavill as the iconic monster hunter Geralt of Rivia. Unfortunately, in spite of fan appreciation for his work in the role, Cavill shockingly departed after the conclusion of Season 3, to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth.
Cavill is also among the cast of actors in the DCEU who confirmed they will not be reprising their superhero roles in additional films for the franchise.
Although it has yet to be officially confirmed why Cavill left The Witcher show, some have speculated he was dissatisfied with the direction Netflix was taking production, as the show started deviating too much from the original source material. He always wanted to ensure Geralt was as true to the novels as possible.