The Witcher author on Netflix adaptation: ‘I don’t care what is done to my character’

This has been a big week for Netflix’s The Witcher as we finally got a trailer and a December 20 release date for the Henry Cavill series. The center of everything was the Lucca Comics & Games festival where author Andrzej Sapkowski along with cast and crew talked about the show and gave many interviews.

One such interview was with the Italian Sugarpulp, where Sapkowski shared this thoughts on adaptations, his legal dispute with CD Projekt Red and the best fantasy author of today.

Sapkowski adressed his attitute towards adaptations: “I do not care what is done with my character in film or in other contexts, even if it is clear that he is my character and will always be my character.”

That said, Andrzej was stunned seeing the trailer for the first time.

As you well know, Netflix isn’t the first to adapt The Witcher or create a franchise with Sapkowski’s characters. The video games by CD Projekt Red were highly successful and put this franchise on the international map for wider audiences.

In 2018 Sapkowski and CDPR began their legal dispute, but it ended up out of his hands. He said: “As for the legal disputes with CD Projekt, I can only say that this whole thing has now gone beyond my control, it has become too big. And I also add that now, at this stage of my career, money means nothing to me.”

‘I’m a f**king artist!’

Sapkowski also talked about his job and his process of doing it: “I just write words, put the letters in the right order. But when I write I don’t see anything, I don’t imagine anything. I don’t know the difference between a craftsman and an artist, but one thing is certain, I am an artist. I’m a f**king artist! I’ve been creating just like Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.”

During the interview, Andrzej talked about his influences. Like with any fantasy author, it all starts with J. R. R. Tolkien: “I was a big fan of Tolkien, which in Poland was translated in the mid-60s. My first wife introduced me to it and for me it was a revelation. At that time I used to read a lot, up to 200 books a year, maybe more. Believe me if I tell you that there is no fantasy author that I haven’t read.”

With the fantasy genre gaining a new life in the past years with its rising popularity, Sapkowski shared his thoughts on who is the best fantasy writer of today: “Joe Abercrombie, no doubt about it.”