The Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski made an appearance at the Lucca Comics & Games festival to promote Netflix’s upcoming The Witcher series.
At a press conference covered by Italian website Sugarpulp and translated by Redanian Intelligence, Sapkowski stated he did not care what was done with his characters outside of the books.
“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.”
These words echo those he spoke with Portugeuse website JPN in December 2018. Using Google Translate Sapkowski 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. That’s all I have to say about this because, as you may know, Netflix has signed a contract with me where it is explicitly listed that any production information I disclose will result in a severe financial penalty. Which is good for me, because I do not know shit. So I can not say anything.”
In fact, Sapkowski confirmed he wanted nothing to do with the production.
“Netflix has forgotten to include my personal opinion on the contract and my personal opinion is that I do not know, and will never want to know, anything about the production.”
Related: Netflix’s The Witcher Showrunner Goes on Twitter Hiatus Following Fan Backlash Over Ciri!
Sapkowski would also confirm that he was not involved with the production in an interview with Wired:
“I worked as a consultant for the series, in the initial phase of writing the story, and I was very well paid to do it. But I was not involved in the actual production, in the casting or in the shooting, and when I see the images from the set, or the trailer, I am always amazed.”
He added:
“Everyone asks me how I imagine Geralt and the others, or the setting of the books, even compared to what appears in the series or in video games. The truth is that I don’t visualize the characters and the scenes I write, I don’t have an image of their own in mind. All I do is put one letter after another until I have filled a page. I have no idea how they should appear on screen.”
Related: Report: Netflix’s The Witcher To Focus on Ciri and Yennefer Over Geralt
In the press conference, he reiterated that sentiment:
“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****** artist! I’ve been creating just like Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.”
In the interview with Wired, Sapkowksi would make it clear he is not a feminist.
No. I love women, I love their role in a story and in the world, but I don’t make it a philosophy.
However, he notes his story features determined and strong women.
“Of course: because this is how it is in real life. Women are and always have been stronger than men.”
What do you make of Sapkowski’s comments?