Lauren S. Hissrich, the showrunner of Netflix’s adaptation of “The Witcher,” announced this week that she’d be taking a break from Twitter this week as her show has come under fire for some of its potential casting choices.
“It’s time for a Twitter hiatus,” Hissrich wrote in a tweet on Monday. “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?”
“The Witcher,” which recently cast “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” star Henry Cavill in a central role, has received some backlash from fans who were upset by the idea that a character from the original novel/video game series would be played by a non-white character.
The original backlash began when a fan uncovered a casting notice from the U.K., believed to be for the character of Ciri. In the books, a popular fantasy series from Poland, the character is of an Eastern Eurpean background. The casting notice, on the other hand, called for a “BAME” actress, which is British shorthand for “black, Asian and minority ethnic”.
The character has not been cast yet, nor has Hissrich commented directly on the casting, but people opposed have already begun circling a petition to preserve the character’s whiteness.
The series is not scheduled to begin shooting until next month.
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