'The Witcher' Fans React to Netflix Casting Controversy
Following the announcement from Netflix's The Witcher's showrunner of her temporary hiatus from [...]
Following the announcement from Netflix's The Witcher's showrunner of her temporary hiatus from Twitter following the Ciri casting rumors, fans of both the books and games seem to be divided on the alleged creative direction.
Some of the reactions have been straight trolling. Others, however, are voicing their displeasure from a place of genuine concern, while others are trusting the creative team, knowing that the author of the books himself is approving the major decisions made regarding his body of work.
For those that missed our previous coverage, below is the original tweet from showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich regarding her departure:
It's time for a Twitter hiatus. The love here is amazing, and the hate is enlightening, like a real-life Trial of the Grasses, except I HAVE to read less and write more -- or we won't have a damn finale. Be back soon with more insight and more Roach. Be nice to each other, okay?
— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) September 10, 2018
Instantly, the comment section split into two major opinons, one of support and one of concern.
Because it makes no difference either way, so the producers can hire whomever is right for the role in terms of acting, not look.
— Chris "DCG" Capel (@ChrisJCapel) September 10, 2018
So much love to you. Though I've been surprised from what has been revealed so far, I like it. I want to be surprised. I want to have something NEW to look forward to. Sending all the good thoughts and vibes and creative juju your way. YOU GOT THIS!
— Liana 'LiLi' Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy) September 11, 2018
media so well. Many people fell in love with the world and characters in the books and especially the games so isn't it natural that they want the look and feel of exactly that also represented in your show?
— Nils (@nailzee) September 10, 2018
Please, cast actors who look like the characters in the books. I've spent hours imagining and seeing them loving each other, running, fighting monsters. If they don't look as they should, they'll be like total strangers reminding me of them. At most. That being said, can't wait!
— Quentin Lhrmt (@QLhrmt) September 10, 2018
as an polish female adoptee who is proud of her culture. I am disappointed. You are changing my culture.
— Aero (@Aero0lith) September 11, 2018
The fact that it hasn't been confirmed is the only reason I still hold out hope. I trust that Lauren will stick to her promise, but at the same time there's a nagging fear that it might have been broken, because this isn't the first time a character's ethnicity has been changed.
— Kapuchu (@Kapuchu1) September 11, 2018
I have no hate here at all but please recall this tweet you said in May - culture. Heritage. Ethnic make up. Story - I have such hopes for this show but don’t lose sight of these words you spoke pic.twitter.com/DNBQllO7Sd
— ♡ Hylian Keyblade Princess ♡ (@hylian_cece) September 11, 2018
No matter what side you are on, it goes to show how intense the decisions creative teams face actually are. Sometimes staying 100 percent true to source material doesn't translate well; other times, a creative re-envisioning is also wanted.
Regardless, knowing that the author of the books is right there with the Netflix crew should comfort those fans most curious about each new development. Andrzej Sapkowski seems to trust the team to handle his property with care, and we should too.
At this point in time, the only confirmed casting we have is that of Man of Steel's Henry Cavill as the show's protagonist: Geralt of Rivia. We also know that the release window for the new series is set for sometime in 2019, though a specific date has yet to be released.
