When is The Witcher season 2 on Netflix? Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich first announced the return of the show and key characters on 13th November 2019, over a month before the launch of season one. Four familiar witchers joining the cast for season 2, two of whom we know the casting choices for. Geralt's own grizzled old father figure Vesemir.
Is rapidly filling out its cast. Alongside returnees – such as Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri – come over half-a-dozen new characters, including fan favourites, more witchers, and even a Beauty and the Beast-style monster.
However, if you have neither dabbled in The Witcher books nor gotten to grips with CD Projekt Red’s games, you might not be familiar with these new names.With that in mind, here’s what we can expect from the new crop of characters making their way to The Continent in 2021 – and what these new additions to the cast tell us about possible story arcs, settings, and any other major events that could feature in the next eight episodes, whilst keeping spoilers to a minimum. Coen (Yasen Atour)(Image credit: CD Projekt Red/Yasen Atour showreel)The books: The second youngest witcher to survive training, Coen appears in Blood of Elves as a friend/mentor to Ciri at Kaer Morhen, the ancestral home of witchers. He even trains her in sword combat and is often seen conversing with the Lion Cub of Cintra during her time there.The games: Unlike some of the other characters listed here, Coen doesn’t appear in any of the games – but is referenced in dialogue during The Witcher.What does it mean for season 2?
Expect Coen to share several scenes (and training montages!) with Ciri. If the Netflix series sticks closely to the books’ portrayal of Coen, he’ll be a lively addition to the ensemble cast – and his energy might just rankle with a certain Geralt of Rivia. His presence also means Ciri might even get a proper fight scene or two towards the end of the eight-episode run. Eskel (Thue Ersted Rasmussen)(Image credit: CD Projekt Red/Still from 'Dead End' by Julius Telmer)The books: Ciri meets Eskel early on in the novel Blood of Elves at Kaer Morhen (sensing a pattern?) but she thinks he’s a monster at first due to the scarring on his face. Don’t be surprised to see that scene ripped straight from the pages next year. Eskel, meanwhile, shares an interesting relationship with Geralt: they were childhood friends during witcher training.
Yep, Geralt had friends.The games: Eskel is present in both The Witcher and The Witcher 3, each time helping to defend Kaer Morhen from attacking forces.What does it mean for season 2? That’s another tally in the column for season 2 spending a large chunk of time with Geralt and Ciri in Kaer Morhen. But the most interesting aspect of Eskel’s character is that he grew up with Geralt. Outside of a very brief scene in the season 1 finale, we know very little of Geralt’s childhood and subsequent training. Eskel could provide a window into that hidden past via flashbacks or some good old-fashioned reminiscing.
At the very least, it’ll be refreshing to see Geralt actually get on with someone for a change. Francesca (Mecia Simson)(Image credit: CD Projekt Red/Getty Images)The books: Francesca has a long and storied history in the books. Described as one of the most beautiful woman on The Continent, she is an extremely powerful elf sorceress who eventually becomes Queen of the Free Elves. She spends most of her time in the throes of the Nilfgaardian empire and helps them in their battles against the Northern forces.
She later helps co-found the Lodge of Sorceresses.The games: Francesca is perhaps the most significant character not to appear in the games. Outside of a journal entry in The Witcher 2 – again referring to her as “the most beautiful woman in the world” – and a Gwent card in The Witcher 3, she is absent from proceedings.What does it mean for season 2? Nilfgaard is ready to make a major move north. With Francesca at their side, they could possibly avenge the Battle of Sodden in the season 1 finale with both Fringilla and now Francesca turning the tide in the war. Francesca’s appearance also points to far more political Game of Thrones-style intrigue in store for season 2, especially when compared to the first season. Lambert (Paul Bullion)(Image credit: CD Projekt Red/Getty Images)The books: A fast-talking, sardonic witcher, Lambert actively despises his upbringing, but does manage to impart some of his wisdom to Ciri via combat training. While he only has a solitary appearance (in Blood of Elves), he and Triss Merrigold share a mutual disdain for each other which carries over into the game trilogy.The games: Lambert has far more of an impact in the games, butting heads with Geralt – and being on the receiving end of a foul-mouthed poem from the silver-haired monster hunter.What does it mean for season 2?
A big personality to rival Geralt’s? Colour me excited. Lambert is sure to be just a rung below Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer when it comes to the main cast, and could prove a fan-favourite due to his general grumpiness and desire of a spot of verbal jousting. Lydia (Aisha Fabienne Ross)#Headshot for #Actress AISHA FABIENNE ROSSREP: @WaringMcKenna © 2018 Ori Jones. All rights reservedpic.twitter.com/V3ZbUc8ka3The books: Lydia is an assistant to Vilgefortz, a duplicitous sorcerer who is secretly helping the Nilfgaardian Emperor with his plans to invade the North.The games: Lydia doesn’t appear in any of the games.What does it mean for season 2? Lydia’s arrival on to the scene in season 2 could be laying the groundwork for a future major villain, one we’ve only glimpsed briefly so far.
In the books, she is closely tied to the maniacal sorcerer Vilgefortz (who appears in episodes 7 and 8) and helps aid Nilfgaard’s fightback after their retreat the Battle of Sodden. It could also hint at sorcerers and sorceresses having a larger role to play in season 2, as all the major players from a book event – which shan’t be spoiled here – are set to be introduced next year. Nivellen (Kristofer Hivju)(Image credit: CD Projeckt Red/HBO)The books: Nivellen is a man cursed to live as a Beauty and the Beast-style monster. He appears in A Grain of Truth, the third short story in The Last Wish collection which season 1 drew heavily from. In the story, he meets Geralt and even saves his life from his companion, Vereena.The games: Nivellen is a character who, sadly, is found exclusively in the books.What does it mean for season 2? Fan site posits that both Geralt and Ciri will meet Nivellen on their way to Kaer Morhen.
If that report rings true, that gives us a greater overview of the arc of the season: Ciri and Geralt will potentially travel to Kaer Morhen, encounter Nivellen before reaching their destination. This is where the events of A Grain of Truth will play out, and the rest of the season will likely involve some witcher training and Nilfgaardian action involving Vilgefortz, Lydia, and Francesca.
Vesemir (Kim Bodnia)(Image credit: CD Pojekt Red/Getty Images)The books: Vesemir in the books is a mentor figure for those at Kaer Morhen, and one widely respected by witchers due to his standing as one the oldest remaining of his kind. He also helped guide Ciri in her witcher training, particularly in the arts of monster hunting.The games: Arguably the character who benefits most from his stint in the games compared to the books, Vesemir is a trusted, loyal ally to Geralt and other witchers at Kaer Morhen and even partakes in several defences of the ancestral witcher base.What does it mean for season 2? Vesemir is likely to be the most important new character. Evidence for this can largely be found in the fact that a prequel anime movie, Nightmare of the Wolf, is airing in 2020. That sort of expansion on a single character means he'll have a large role to play, particular in any Kaer Morhen training arc with Ciri. Vereena (Agnes Bjorn)Agnes Bjorn as Vereena pic.twitter.com/z6DXcpHdpMThe books: Vereena also appears in a Grain of Truth as Nivellen’s lover, but she’s hiding a dark and monstrous secret.The games: In a neat Easter egg for fans of the book, Vereena is brought up during a DLC contract mission on Skellige during The Witcher 3.What does it mean for season 2? Yet more proof that we’re getting A Grain of Truth adapted for the Netflix series.
Delving any further into plot details here would spoil a little too much for season 2 but, rest assured, Geralt will be facing down one of his most interesting and morally ambiguous adventures yet.Need something to watch before 2021? Check out our ranking of the.
The Witcher – Copyright. NetflixAfter a month of big casting announcements and exciting reports from the set, things quietened down sharply, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted Netflix to halt the production of The Witcher season 2 from the second half of the month onwards.
Here’s the latest on The Witcher season 2 with an exclusive report from Redanian Intelligence.Originally scheduled for a break of two weeks, filming has yet to resume, and all the safety measures preventing that will likely remain in place for a time yet. However, there were some happenings, as the first two weeks of March saw the return of the witcher himself – Henry Cavill – filming alongside Freya Allan (Ciri). A number of other actors were busy too, including the newcomers who will portray Geralt of Rivia’s witcher colleagues.On the casting front, Redanian Intelligence uncovered an audition tape for an iconic character from the Witcher books, offering a glimpse at what to expect from the politics in season 2. Finally, a few more actors joined the ever-expanding cast of The Witcher. Read about all the details here in our recap of The Witcher-related news for March 2020!Topics in this months news roundup:. Coronavirus: The Witcher halts production of season 2.
Filming: Henry Cavill and Freya Allan reunite on set. Filming: The Witchers of Kaer Morhen start their season 2 journey. Casting: Audition tape for Queen Meve surfaces and more actors join the castCoronavirus: The Witcher halts production of season 2. Pictured: Henry Cavill in action as Geralt of Rivia – Copyright. NetflixLike so many other projects ongoing at Netflix, The Witcher also shut down the production of its second season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement on March 16th came days after newcomer Kristofer Hivju (Nivellen) shared on that he had tested positive for the disease and was self-isolating. Luckily, the former Game of Thrones star reported only having mild symptoms.As an official spokesperson, Netflix paused production of season 2 prior to becoming aware of that, but shut down all production offices and the main headquarters at Arborfield studios as a further precaution.
Asked by The, a source close to the production said:Cast and crew health is our primary concern. We are dealing with an unprecedented global pandemic that is beyond our control, and in many instances with mandates or restrictions imposed by governments (including travel restrictions in many countries). As such, we have made the decision, effective immediately, to pause production for two weeks during this difficult time, and we will support our production partners working on Netflix U.K. Scripted series in doing the same.
This will allow everyone the time to make informed decisions about how to move forward. The coronavirus has raised challenging issues for everyone working on set on productions for Netflix. We are very grateful for all the work everyone has done to keep cast and crew safe during this pandemic.While people are obviously worried that the break will negatively affect the release of season 2, a 2021 air date is still a safe bet. Of the five months of planned filming, one is already completed. If we take the first season as a reference, we can expect a period of six to seven months of post-production to follow. This means that for the release date to be pushed into 2022, the production would have to pause for almost a year until February or March 2021. In all likelihood, we will have to wait just a few more months for The Witcher to return to the screen.film and TV productions in many countries have been suspended one after another, actors may find themselves in a precarious position.
The Witcher casting director Sophie Holland and her assistant Faye Timby have come up with an unconventional idea to use the time that has now become abundant productively and give actors a chance to show their talent in a face-to-face meeting via the platform. Using the hashtag #CastingCrushesCorona, they devised a new project, spending an hour a day speaking to up to six actors from all over the world.Holland, who was halfway through the casting of The Witcher season 2 when Netflix shut down production, spoke with about her initiative:There’s been some really interesting actors that I didn’t know about before that I’m meeting now. I can definitely see that our paths will cross again in the future. I can already think of roles that might match with people I’ve spoken to.
It’s also given me a sense that the industry still goes on.Perhaps this could be a chance for some actors to get hold of one of the much sought-after roles in Holland’s biggest project to date. The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich certainly seems to think so, as she joined the two casting professionals for one of their recent sessions of #CastingCrushesCorona.Filming: Henry Cavill and Freya Allan reunite on set. Pictured: Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia (left) and Freya Allan as Princess Ciri (right) – Copyright. NetflixTwo weeks before the shutdown, reported that Henry Cavill finally made his return to the set, picking up his role as the titular witcher Geralt of Rivia. He was joined by Freya Allan, who plays Princess Ciri of Cintra, the child whose destiny is linked with Geralt’s through an ancient custom called the law of surprise.When we last saw the pair, Geralt just found Ciri who had been on the run for weeks pursued by the agents of the Nilfgaardian Empire who invaded her homeland and slaughtered her family. Pictured: Kaer Mohen as imagined in The Witcher video game series – Copyright.
CD Projekt RedIn February Netflix finally announced the main line-up of new actors to join The Witcher and judging by multiple social media posts some of them have already started filming.In what is probably one of the most anticipated sequences of the second season, viewers will be introduced to Geralt’s few surviving Witcher colleagues at the ancient keep of Kaer Morhen. For those who have read the books or played the games, this will be a reunion with some of the most beloved characters of the franchise. For all others, we’ll briefly introduce these important figures without getting into spoiler material.
Pictured: Kim Bodnia (left) and Vesemir (right) – Copyright. CD Projekt RedVesemir is played by Danish actor Kim Bodnia, best known for his roles in Killing Eve and The Bridge. He has already been mentioned by Geralt in the first season of The Witcher and careful listeners will have heard the voice of his younger self during a brief flashback scene in the final episode. He is the witcher who raised young Geralt after his mother Visenna (portrayed in the show by Frida Gustavsson) abandoned him as an infant.Experienced in the ways of monster-slaying, Vesemir has become a strict but protective surrogate father and mentor to Geralt and other young recruits.
While the world around him has changed, he is ever steadfast, vigorous and resourceful even in his advanced age and remains the undisputed authority at Kaer Morhen. Pictured: Thue Ersted Rasmussen (left) Eskel (right) – Copyright.
CD Projekt RedThue Ersted Rasmussen, another Dane, plays Geralt’s childhood friend Eskel. Known to both readers of the books and gamers, Eskel is calm and collected though no less deadly than Geralt in a fight. Due to his trademark disfiguring scar he appears menacing at first sight but proves to be good-natured and tactful as far as witchers go.Back in January, (known for his work on Game of Thrones) to receive a full body cast. As speculates, this may be connected to his work on The Witcher, as Gower appears to have joined the second season. Pictured: Paul Bullion (left) and Vesemir (right) – Copyright. CD Projekt RedPaul Bullion, whom you may remember from his role in Peaky Blinders, plays Lambert, who like Vesemir and Eskel appeared in both the books and the games. Belonging to a younger generation of recruits than Geralt, this big warrior has a particularly sharp tongue and a confidence bordering on arrogance.
Despite that, he is generally trustworthy and competent, especially in matters of swordsmanship.Bullion has displaying his new training routine and also appears to have become good friends with Rasmussen as the pair on set in true witcher style with a couple of pints. What’s on Netflix is not endorsed, moderated, owned by or affiliated with Netflix or any of its partners in any capacity. The authors of this site also have no affiliation with Netflix. What's on Netflix is a unofficial fansite for Netflix. All promotional material including but not limited to trailers, images and videos are all copyright to their respective owners. Netflix is a registered trademark of Netflix, Inc.
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