The Witcher made its long-awaited Netflix debut in December 2019, and fans are undoubtedly already dying to see what's in store with Season 2. Based on a series of novels and short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher showcased a whole new side of Henry Cavill, debuted an incredibly catchy tune about monster-hunting, and scored an early renewal. Read on for a rundown of what we know so far about The Witcher Season 2!
How soon should you prepare to toss a coin to your witcher? How will The Witcher Season 2 pick up after the Season 1 finale cliffhanger? Will Henry Cavill's wig be any more white? Some answers are already available regarding where the Netflix series will go next, and it's never too early to prepare for another trip to The Witcher's Continent. Here's what has been released so far about The Witcher Season 2 on Netflix.
Are There Any Trailers For The Witcher Season 2?
Unfortunately, Netflix has not yet released any footage for The Witcher Season 2, but we can estimate when we might get a first look. Star Henry Cavill shared a video on Instagram in early January revealing that the show is entering preproduction on Season 2, so fans shouldn't count on any trailers anytime too soon. That said, the first teaser for The Witcher released on July 19, 2019, which was almost exactly five months before the Netflix premiere. The main trailer then released a few months later, on Halloween, with the final full trailer hitting the web on December 12.
If The Witcher Season 2 follows the same schedule, then the first teaser could release five or so months ahead of the premiere. The initial teaser for Season 1 did release during 2019's San Diego Comic-Con, so there's a chance that new footage could release as early as July 2020 if The Witcher has a SDCC presence again. A lot likely depends on the premiere date.
When Does The Witcher Season 2 Premiere?
No premiere date for The Witcher Season 2 has been announced just yet. That said, The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich revealed via Reddit AMA that while there is no "target launch date" for Season 2 yet, the premiere window is 2021. While that's quite a wide window, fans have something to go on.
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, who had a great response to certain reviews for The Witcher Season 1, has suggested filming could begin as early as spring 2020. Combined with Henry Cavill's reveal that The Witcher Season 2 is entering preproduction already in January 2020, this is a good sign for as timely a 2021 premiere as possible.
How Many Episodes Will There Be In The Witcher Season 2?
The first season of The Witcher on Netflix was comprised of eight episodes, which chronicled a number of short stories penned by Andrzej Sapkowski before the events of the actual six-book Witcher saga. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich explained to CinemaBlend that the short story focus served to set up the world, characters, and politics of the Witcher before the main drama kicks off. So, with Season 2 jumping into that main drama, will the episode count change?
Well, the showrunner explained via Reddit that the eight-episode run of Season 1 was based on the story, the sense of what the audience would finish, and the budget, then said that "Eight felt like the magic number" and they're approaching Season 2 "a similar way we did with" Season 1. While that's not confirmation of an episode count, it's probably safe to bet that Season 2 will have eight episodes.
What Is The Story Of The Witcher?
Netflix's The Witcher follows the monster-hunting witcher Geralt of Rivia, the sorceress Yennefer, and the princess-on-the-run Ciri. Geralt and Yennefer met and began their tumultuous love story in Season 1, but neither met Ciri until the very end. Nevertheless, Geralt knew she was his "destiny," as he claimed the law of surprise from her father, which had the unintended consequence of binding Geralt and Ciri together before she was even born. Meanwhile, Yennefer was on an ongoing mission to find a way to bear children after her womb was removed.
We can turn to the books for what probably happens next. Season 2 will presumably dive into the events of the first novel in Andrzej Sapkowski's saga, Blood of Elves. Season 1 didn't follow the source material exactly, but The Witcher Season 2 should tackle Geralt's attempts to protect Ciri, delve into her mysterious powers, and bring Yennefer into the mix, all while the threat of Nilfgaard grows and the politics of the Continent's sorcerers get more and more complicated.
Who Is The Creator Of Netflix's The Witcher?
In a way, The Witcher has multiple creators. The Witcher on Netflix was created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, a fan of the source material with writer and producer credits on shows ranging from The West Wing to Private Practice to Netflix's Daredevil and The Umbrella Academy. She serves as showrunner on The Witcher as well, and she explained in an interview with CinemaBlend how Netflix shaped Season 1 storytelling.
The Witcher's universe was created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, who penned six Witcher novels and two collections of Witcher short stories. The first of these works was published in 1992 with the last in 2013 in Poland. They weren't published in English until much later, with the first in 2007 and the last in 2018. There is also a series of popular Witcher video games, but Netflix's The Witcher is based on the books rather than the games, so there should be few if any connections between the games and the TV show.
Who's Starring In The Witcher Season 2?
The Witcher landed a big name as star when Henry Cavill campaigned for and then won the role of Geralt of Rivia. Best known for his role as Superman in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League, Cavill went all-out for The Witcher, nearly blinding himself and going on a "miserable" dehydration diet.
Yennefer and Ciri are played by relative newcomers Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan, respectively. Based on the source material, it's safe to say they'll both be back in Season 2, along with Joey Batey as the bard Jaskier, Anna Shaffer as the sorceress Triss Merigold, MyAnna Buring as Tissaia de Vries, and Mahesh Jadu as the sorcerer Vilgefortz.
Confirmed Characters: Geralt Of Rivia (Henry Cavill)
Unsurprisingly, the witcher of The Witcher will be back and at the center of Season 2 on Netflix. Now that the show is moving away from the short stories, Geralt will likely be focused more on protecting Ciri than going on standalone monster hunts. That said, Henry Cavill will undoubtedly still have plenty of his own stunts to do in The Witcher Season 2, as protecting the mysterious Ciri will be no easy task. And loving (and being loved by) Yennefer isn't the safest situation either!
Confirmed Characters: Yennefer (Anya Chalotra)
Yennefer's fate was uncertain at the end of Season 1 thanks to a killer cliffhanger, but Lauren Schmidt Hissrich confirmed more of Yennefer (via Variety) when the renewal for Season 2 was announced. Although Yennefer's determination to regain the ability to have children could continue into Season 2, she may be busy with other issues including the aftermath of the Nilfgaard invasion, politics in the world of sorcery, and what happens with Geralt and Ciri.
Confirmed Characters: Ciri (Freya Allan)
Ciri should have a central role in The Witcher Season 2, as the Netflix series finally united Ciri and Geralt at the end of Season 1. Their relationship is a major aspect of the books, and it's safe to say that characters connected to The Witcher's witcher won't lack for screentime. Season 2 should shed some light on the mysteries surrounding Ciri.
What Happened At The End Of The Witcher Season 1?
After keeping Geralt and Ciri separate for nearly the entire first season, The Witcher finally introduced the two in the final moments of the finale. It took several near-misses, a near-death experience for Geralt, and a long journey for Ciri, but these destined characters met and may not part for a while. Ciri asked after Yennefer at this first meeting, to the surprise of Geralt.
Yennefer's fate is the biggest mystery at the moment. Several sorcerers went all out to oppose the invading forces of Nilfgaard, and many died before Yennefer unleashed her powers as a last resort. She wasn't seen again after this desperate decision, but her return in Season 2 proves that she didn't perish, and Nilfgaard was likely defeated... for a time.
What New Characters Will Be In The Witcher Season 2?
With details scarce about Netflix's The Witcher Season 2, we can really only go on Lauren Schmidt Hissrich's Reddit promise that "there's a whole new set of fun characters coming in" Season 2. She also hinted that more witchers are on the way. Interestingly, Mark Hamill has expressed (somewhat hilarious) interest in playing the witcher Vesemir, and he's clearly not opposed to appearances in fantasy TV shows as well as Star Wars movies.
Where Can You Stream The Witcher Season 1?
Well, this is an easy one! The full TV-MA first season of The Witcher is available on Netflix. Despite some bad reviews, The Witcher is arguably the streamer's most talked-about show since Stranger Things Season 3. The upside of The Witcher Season 2 not premiering until 2021 is that there's plenty of time to rewatch the first eight episodes.
And hey, if you can't wait to find out what could happen next, there are always the eight Witcher books. Unlike Game of Thrones on HBO, The Witcher didn't launch on Netflix until after the source material story was finished, so there's no need to worry that the show will outpace the books in Season 2.
If you're in the market for some alternative TV options between now and The Witcher Season 2, be sure to swing by our 2020 Netflix premiere schedule.
