The past few months have been dreadful for the Witcher fanbase after the axing of Henry Cavill from the role of Geralt of Rivia. The Man of Steel actor reportedly removed himself from the show because of the writers’ disregard towards Andrzej Sapkowski’s work.
Responding to the situation, the author of the original novels also shared his viewpoint on Netflix’s Witcher adaptation. And it appears that the author shares the same viewpoint as Henry Cavill for the show, which is no longer faithful to its source material.
Andrzej Sapkowski breaks his silence on Netflix’s The Witcher
At the Taipei International Book Exhibition, the author of the original Witcher novels was asked about his viewpoint on the live-action adaptation. Andrzej Sapkowski responded by stating, “I’ve seen better. I’ve seen worse”, explaining his distaste with the direction of the live-action adaptation of his books. A Twitter user then posted the author’s response,
During the Taipei International Book Exhibition today, Andrzej Sapkowski (author of The Witcher) shared his opinions on the Netflix adaptation of his novels. He said, "I've seen better. I've seen worse." pic.twitter.com/DOkN40HogJ
— Kay (@Kathleenmms321) February 1, 2023
Although the author isn’t fond of The Witcher show, but he previously shared his love for Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia by stating, “I was more than happy with Henry Cavill’s appearance as The Witcher”. And it explains why Henry Cavill, who is a big fan of Sapkowski’s work, didn’t want to continue on the show, as the writers were being disrespectful to Sapkowski’s work.
Andrzej Sapkowski isn’t fond of The Witcher despite liking Henry Cavill
Even though The Witcher is one of the most popular Netflix originals, it has garnered some criticisms over the years from fans, with the biggest one being the author Andrzej Sapkowski. Despite admiring Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt of Rivia, the author didn’t like Netflix’s degradation of his works.
The author revealed that he didn’t want himself involved in the adaptation’s development and believes that the book will be a book and the adaptation will not be able to get the essence of the novel. And considering that the writers of the show haven’t shared the same vision as the books, which allegedly led to Henry Cavill’s exclusion from the show, it’s reasonable to assume why the writer wants to cut ties with the show. He stated,
“In all adaptations, be it the first or the last, I am never involved in its development. From my point of view, the book is the book and adaptation is adaptation. As Kipling said about East and West: ‘This is East and West is West, and the two will never meet.’ The adaptation and the original will never be found. Never. Adapters must be fitted.”
Even though the original author of the books doesn’t seem to be fond of Netflix’s direction with the show. But Netflix doesn’t seem to bother, as they have greenlit the fourth season of the show with the inclusion of Liam Hemsworth as the new Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Twitter
