Netflix's The Witcher showrunner responds to claims that writers hate the source material

Spoiler warning: this article contains some spoilers for The Witcher on Netflix.

There’s perhaps no fandom as divided as The Witcher’s right now. While the fans of the games are thriving with so many new titles in the works (including a remake of The Witcher 1) and The Witcher 3’s new-gen update right around the corner, it’s a very different story for enjoyers of the Netflix series.

The announcement of Henry Cavill’s departure from the show has (understandably) not gone down well at all - although we’ll still see him throughout season three, Liam Hemsworth will be taking over as Geralt from season four onwards. This has basically sent everyone into a frenzy - many people have assumed that Cavill might be stepping down due to the show veering further away from the source material, as he himself is a huge fan.

Take a look at the trailer for The Witcher: Blood Origin - a new miniseries releasing on 25 December.

Around the same time as the news that Cavill will be leaving the show, as Redanian Intelligence reports, former Witcher writer Beau DeMayo took to Instagram with allegations that some of the writers on the show actually dislike the source material that they’re working with, which would certainly explain the changes made to it. He said (via The Direct): “I’ve been on show – namely Witcher – where some of the writers were not [fans] or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material). It’s a recipe for disaster and bad morale. Fandom as a litmus test checks egos, and makes all the long nights worth it. You have to respect the work before you’re allowed to add to its legacy.”

Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich responded to these claims on Instagram: “I have great respect for Beau and the episodes he wrote! The striga episode is one of my favourites. He wrote the one where people came to Kaer Morhen and Eskel died, which had a lot of backlash, but he was brave in telling the story he wanted to tell. I respect that,” she said. “I’ve never mocked the books. The books are my entire livelihood. I have a great relationship with Mr. Sapkowski, and writers rooms are sacred and safe supportive spaces. Don’t believe everything you read.”

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