Witcher Author Says Netflix "Never Listened" To His Ideas For The Show

Andrzej Sapkowski, creator of The Witcher and author of the original novels, said that he gave the creators of the Netflix show some ideas, but that they didn't listen to him.

The quote comes from an interview with Sapkowski at Vienna Comic Con from the Austrian gaming YouTubers Cerealkillerz. The interview covers Sapkowski's inspirations, his writing method, his advice for young writers and his feelings about the franchise's various adaptations. The interview asked about when Sapkowski visited the set of the Witcher Netflix show. Sapkowski initially replied with enthusiasm, but then joked about how little influence he felt he had on the show. "The set was tremendous...I gave them some ideas but they never listened to me," he said, "It's normal. Who's this? It's a writer. It's nobody."

When asked whether any of the various adaptations captured what Sapkowski imagined, he said, "every adaptation that I saw was strange for me...sometimes it's very nice for me...sometimes it isn't. I will not elaborate." Sapkowski also said he is working on another Witcher book that will be released next winter. When asked whether he plays video games Sapkowski replied, "Never. I have no time for this."

In a promotional video for the Netflix show from December 2019, Sapkowski talked with The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich. The interview is inter-spliced with footage from Sapkowski's set visit. In that interview Sapkowski's expresses enthusiasm for the show and that he is looking forward to seeing the finished product. He said, "you cannot judge the soup by the groceries."

The Witcher show debuted season 3 in two parts in 2023. That season was Henry Cavill's final ride as Geralt of Rivia. Starting with season 4, Liam Hemsworth will replace him.