Highlights
- Andrzej Sapkowski, author of The Witcher book series, had zero input and his suggestions were not heard by Netflix producers for the TV adaptation.
- Sapkowski was impressed with the set and visuals of The Witcher TV series, but he had no control over its production.
- While the author didn't mention specific details, his concerns likely involved deviations in the screenplay or minor differences from the source material in the TV adaptation.
The Witcher is only one of several movies and TV shows adapted from books and comics. The authors usually lose power over the screenplay and production, and Andrzej Sapkowski is no exception.
Netflix's The Witcher series by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is based on the book series of the same title penned by Polish writer Sapkowski. The fantasy drama TV series is among the most popular shows on the streaming platform, spawning four seasons, with the fourth one expected to premiere in 2025. Sapkowski was recently asked about his involvement in the Netflix production, and he hinted that he had zero input because the producers didn't listen to his suggestions.
Sapkowski attended the Vienna Comic Con, and Cerealkillers asked about his writing career. The conversation eventually led to the host asking him about his visit to the Witcher set and if he gave any feedback and liked what he saw. The talented scribe didn't hide his astonishment on the set, describing it as "tremendous" with a "wow" factor. He was visibly impressed with what he saw on set. However, the streaming giant didn't need additional input from him because it reportedly didn't listen to his recommendations.
The Witcher author told Cerealkillerz he gave them some ideas, but Netflix didn't listen. The author, however, wasn't offended at all and just laughed it off. Sapkowski acknowledged that he had no control over how the streaming giant would do the series, even saying its reaction was "normal" and jokingly added that he was just the writer and a nobody.
Based on the interview, what Sapkowski told Netflix is unclear because he didn't get into details. His suggestion probably concerns The Witcher costumes, production design, screenplay, or another aspect of production. There's no questioning Sapkowski's talent as a writer, as he has already written six volumes in his series for The Witcher, with another one on the way next winter. More likely, his concern was about the screenplay, which may have deviated from the source. However, this isn't surprising since producing a TV show from a book requires a different skill set. It usually results in minor differences in plot and characters, which do not go unnoticed by those who read the book before watching the TV show or movie.
Also, Sapkowski said in the same interview that he wasn't particular about the various adaptations of The Witcher and how the characters are illustrated, noting that he doesn't imagine the whole picture of the story and the characters when he writes and only focuses on letters and words, as those are the only things readers see in the book. So, he leaves the imagining part or the picture of the story to the readers. Since Sapkowski doesn't have a concrete image of The Witcher character designs, he finds every visual adaptation strange while approving some, saying they were nice and others not. Thus, the characters' costumes or production designs probably don't concern him.
The Witcher seasons 1-3 are available on Netflix.
The Witcher
The Witcher is a 3D action RPG series developed by CD Projekt Red featuring the exploits of Geralt of Rivia. Steeped in fantasy, The Witcher series is based on the books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.
Source: Cerealkillerz
