LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Witcher', originally published as a book series in Polish, has had its share of time in the public as it was turned into video games and even got a Netflix adaptation. The author of the book series, Andrzej Sapkowski, had the valid expectation that every adaptation or recreation of his work remains true to its sources.
Netflix's 'The Witcher' mostly remains true to the source material, even though there are elements that have been largely inspired by the video games released by CD Projekt Red. The inspiration was clearly visible in Henry Cavill's performance as the protagonist Geralt because he is an avid gamer, especially a fan of the CD Projekt Red titles.
Is Andrzej Sapkowski in favor of the Netflix adaptation?
As it turns out, he is careful with his opinions regarding the Netflix adaptation of 'The Witcher' but is clearly vexed with the 2001 version, 'The Hexer'. He had expressed his abhorrence with the production of the Marek Brodzki-directed film many times. However, it doesn't seem that he is particularly dissatisfied with the Netflix series. The author said, "I've seen better. I've seen worse," sharing his opinion of the Netflix adaptation at the Taipei International Book Exhibition.
Andrzej Sapkowski approves of Henry Cavill's portrayal of Geralt
While Sapkowski may have opinions on the Netflix adaptation, he certainly approves of Cavill portraying Geralt of Rivia. He believes that Cavill embodied the character of Geralt with dedication even though he was largely inspired by the video game versions of his books. The author conveyed that he appreciates the adaptation by Netflix to some extent, but he is happier about Cavill's portrayal, as per Forbes.
Sapkowski praised Cavill saying, "I was more than happy with Henry Cavill’s appearance as The Witcher." He even went on to compare his portrayal of the character with that of Viggo Mortensen from 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, saying, "He’s a real professional. Just as Viggo Mortensen gave his face to Aragorn, so Henry gave his to Geralt — and it shall be forever so."
Andrzej Sapkowski's turbulent relationship with CD Projekt Red
Before the Netflix adaptation was helmed as one of the accurate representations of the book, Sapkowski shared a turbulent relationship with CD Projekt Red due to the games. That's because he sold the rights with the perception that the games wouldn't gain enough success. However, they managed to sell more than 40 million copies. Sapkowski was left with very little income as the company didn't pay him much, and he even cited the games to be responsible for decreased book sales. After the fiasco, CD Projekt Red and Sapkowski managed to strike a better deal that would be of satisfying monetary value to the author, as reported by Forbes.
'The Witcher' Season 3 would witness Cavill portraying the role of Geralt one last time. 'The Witcher' Season 3 will stream on Netflix from June 29.
