The Witcher Season 3 Might Not Happen
Although Henry Cavill-led The Witcher has cast a spell over us all, the series' showrunner warns we'd need an equally pioneering second season if there's any hope of Netflix bringing it back for Season 3. Let's hope Yennefer can work her magic.
While most of us had heard of The Witcher long before Cavill donned a white wig to play Geralt of Rivia. CD Projekt Red's beloved game franchise found a whole new lease of life when it landed on the streaming giant in 2019.
Although filming has wrapped on Season 2, and it's galloping toward its December release, Season 3 is far from certain.
Is there going to be The Witcher Season 3?
Only last month, we covered the news that Cavill is reportedly locked in for a five more seasons as Geralt - which would take The Witcher all the way into the next decade. The original source has a shaky track record, and according to showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, it's a big leap.
Speaking at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, (via IGN) Hissrich confirmed the team is yet to reach an official agreement on The Witcher Season 3 at Netflix. "There has been no formal renewal", said Hissrich. "In fact, right now, my focus is on Season 2. I mean, we have this airdate now, we're going to launch on December 17.
"There is still a lot of work to be done in post-production. So I'm back and forth between Los Angeles and London completing that, and that is just where all of our focus is right now, because we need a great Season 2 if we have a hope of having a Season 3." It's true that most shows find their stride in Season 2 (just look at LOST), but it's clear there's a lot riding on the next run of eight episodes.
As well as being viewed by 76 million people in its first month, The Witcher was reportedly the most in-demand TV series, and led to sales of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt rising by a jaw-dropping 554% in December 2019. Still, it's not enough to guarantee Season 3.
What happens if Netflix cancels The Witcher Season 3?
Remember that even if Netflix pulls the plug on The Witcher, it's not the end of the road. Although the platform is known for saving shows like Arrested Development, The Gilmore Girls, and Designated Survivor, that doesn't mean someone else wouldn't pick up The Witcher.
Also, Netflix has its own spotty track record when it comes to cancelling seemingly flourishing shows. Altered Carbon, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Messiah were all recently shown the door, while Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Castlevania were given final-season orders. Then again, none of these had the might of The Witcher behind them.
Given HBO's success with Game of Thrones, we could easily see The Witcher and its all-star cast making the move over there to sit alongside The Last of Us. Then again, The Witcher is caught in a whole tangle of contracts, and just like Daredevil, would likely be off the table for a few years until the deal expires.
Anyway, what's the point in worrying? The Witcher Season 1 was easily one of Netflix's biggest hits. We just can't imagine a world where Season 2 goes full Thrones Season 8 and Netflix pulls the plug. Then again, we didn't expect our journey to the Seven Kingdoms to go down in flames like it did.