Netflix never listened to his ideas.
How did you learn about the Witcher universe? Did you play the games first or read the books? Or maybe you saw it on Netflix? Whatever the case, I'm sure you know who Andrzej Sapkowski is. As the creator of the famous franchise, the writer has contributed to the other media in one way or another, although his influence might not be as vast as you think.
Speaking with Cerealkillerz at Vienna Comic Con, Sapkowski shared some brief but curious insights into the worlds of writing, video games, and the Netflix show.
If you imagine the author sitting in front of the computer and enjoying CD PROJEKT RED's popular titles, you'll be disappointed. Sapkowski has never played video games and never will as he has no time for this. To him, gaming is not something he'd do for fun.
"I have no time for this, and it's not entertainment for me. No… I never played it and I do not intend to play it," he said.
Image credit: CD PROJEKT RED
Well, what about TV series then? I know a lot of people who have never experienced The Witcher before Netflix's show. Although it's quite different from the books, there are millions of fans adoring it. How close was Sapkowski to the production? Not close as it turns out. He gave them some ideas, apparently, but "they never listened."
"But it's normal. 'Who's this? It's a writer, it's nobody,'" he added. Maybe there is some bitterness there, but he also mentioned that the set of the series was "tremendous," so I guess it's enough for him to not be a big part of the process. Plus, he doesn't strike me as someone who'd enjoy it.
In the interview, Sapkowski also talked about his literary escapades and the first Witcher story. Watch the full video here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.