Netflix's The Witcher Writers Don't Like The Books Or Games
"My general rule was you HAD to be a fan. No questions." This is the new philosophy employed by Beau DeMayo heading into the shooting of X-Men '97, as the writer has claimed that a handful of colleagues that worked on Netflix's The Witcher actively disliked and mocked the source material from the games and books.
Henry Cavill might have stolen our hearts with his beautiful portrayal of the silver-haired Geralt of Rivia on Netflix, but long-time fans of the books will have noticed some startling contrasts from the way it was originally imagined and written by Andrzej Sapkowski back in the 80s.
Huge changes like Yennefer's loss of magic and the death of Eskel have fans wondering what the writers are playing at. Yet, it appears that there is quite a simple explanation for the adaptations, as it seems the writers of Netflix's version of The Witcher are not fans of the franchise and "dislike" the originals.
Beau DeMayo Claims Netflix's Writers 'Dislike' The Witcher
Taking to a question-and-answer session on his Instagram story, DeMayo claimed that his X-Men production team was put together as a team of writers that were fans of the original lore and series, before taking a dig at those he worked with on The Witcher.
"I've been on a show - namely The Witcher - where some of the writers were not or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material.) It's a recipe for disaster and bad morale," said DeMayo.
Click to enlargeThe second season of Netflix's The Witcher is supposed to be based on the books, The Last Wish, Blood of Elves, and the start of Time of Contempt, although the screenwriters had some huge shifts to how the plot should go.
The Witcher Writer Claims Colleagues Need To 'Respect' Its Legacy
After reviewing his ethos ahead of the X-Men ’97 production, DeMayo insisted that writers need to check their egos and lean into fandom on projects with deep lore, such as The Witcher. "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," DeMayo continued.
Many writers have adapted books and made major changes to the plot, such as the recent House of the Dragon episode where Laenor Valeryon's fate was very different to George RR Martin's book, rather than the way the Maesters described it in Fire & Blood. Unfortunately, The Witcher's changes haven't gone down as well with fans…
