George R.R. Martin is one of those rare writers who has created his own world, which is hundreds and thousands of years old in his mind. And over the years, he has managed to pull millions of people into that fantastical world. However, it would be unfair not to mention the role that popular motion adaptations have played in the popularity of his works. Whether it is House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones, Martin has been the mastermind behind some of the most iconic TV franchises to ever exist.

Despite the success he has enjoyed from the TV adaptations, he is not a fan of a very specific tendency of showrunners that has been accused of killing the essence of the literary pieces.

When fans of a popular franchise hear about it hitting the screen, they are hoping to see the same tale, just acted out instead of read. But that is not how it has gone down with a bunch of recent shows and movies. And it is this very thing that seasoned author George R.R. Martin tore into on his personal blog. The novelist and screenwriter aimed the habit of messing with the source material in adapted shows, saying, "Nine hundred ninety-nine times out of a thousand, they make it worse”. 

Adapting classic literary works into cinematic reels is not a new concept in the industry. In fact, it often extends the charm of the original work to a broader audience. However, it becomes problematic when showrunners fail to do justice to the source material, often by attempting to impose their own unique vision. A similar situation has been observed with the decline of The Witcher franchise. Andrzej Sapkowski had also addressed the showrunners' practice of not heeding his vision for the adaptation.

Amidst Reports of ‘The Witcher’ Writers Disliking the Source Material, George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman Scrutinize Unfaithful Recreations

The author of the popular series, later adapted by Netflix, once put out his wonderfully honest self in an interview about the showmakers' attitude toward him. 

One of the major points of criticism that The Witcher drew in was its deviation from the source material. It failed to give out the same vibe as the original books to fans. Last year, Andrzej Sapkowski sat for an interview at Vienna Comic Con where he had a conversation with the Austrian gaming website Cerealkillerz about the Lauren Hissrich-led Netflix series, The Witcher. “They never listened to me,” stated the author about his role in the show’s making.

Sapkowski also mimicked a Netflix executive saying, “Who's this? It's a writer, it's nobody." While the author was impressed by the visuals and set of the Netflix adaptation, as well as by the lead Henry Cavill, he had no control over the production. This also stems from the fact that many of the Netflix show writers “actively disliked the books and games,” as revealed by X-Men writer Beau DeMayo to The Direct. Nonetheless, the chances of these tweaks working are quite slim, a classic example of which is The Witcher itself.

Writers of Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ ‘Mocked’ The Source Material! Producer-Writer Beau DeMayo Exposes Their Little Secret

What do you think about George R.R. Martin’s feelings toward showrunners not sticking to the source material? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!