Filming is currently underway for Season 2 of The Witcher and, though it won’t land on Netflix until 2021, the streaming service has confirmed seven new stars. One of whom is Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju as the man-made monster Nivellen, whose casting was previously alleged, but not confirmed. They’ll all be joining returning cast members Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, and Joey Batey as the fun-loving Jaskier.
The Witcher’s world is definitely expanding. In addition to Kristofer Hivju, the new cast includes Yasen Atour as Coen, the witcher who trains Ciri at Kaer Morhen, the witcher’s ancestral home and training spot in Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series; Peaky Blinders alum Paul Billion as Lambert; Fast and Furious 9’s Thue Ersted as Eskel; Aisha Fabienne Ross as Lydia; Agnes Bjorn as Vereena; and Mecia Simpson as Francesca.
Yasen Atour and Paul Bullion, who will play a fan-favorite Witcher character from the video games, had also been reported as joining the cast in Season 2, but it’s good to have official confirmation from Netflix. There’s still no update on whether Vesemir will be in The Witcher’s sophomore season, though. Keep your fingers crossed that Mark Hamill -- who is on board to play the character after fans put his name in the ring -- will be cast as the witcher and Geralt’s mentor.
The Witcher’s Season 1 finale saw the mages face off against the Nilfgaardian army in the Battle of Sodden Hill. Yennefer seemed to perish, or at least disappear temporarily, while Triss lay, bloody and dying. While it was always doubtful that Yennefer had actually died, Triss’ fate was left up in the air and it was unclear whether we’d see her again. However, with Netflix confirming that both Anya Chalotra and Anna Shaffer will be returning in Season 2, fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
In addition to the casting news, it’s been announced that The Umbrella Academy’s Stephen Surjik will direct the first two episodes of The Witcher Season 2, with Sarah O’Gorman directing episodes three and four, Meet the Patels’ Geeta Patel helming episodes six and seven, and Ed Bazalgette rounding out the directors list to take on episodes five and eight.
In a statement, The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich had this to say about the casting news and the high standards Season 1 set in terms of recruiting talented actors to play these beloved characters. In her words:
The reaction to season one of The Witcher set a high bar for adding new talent for the second season. Sophie Holland and her casting team have once again found the very best people to embody these characters, and in the hands of these accomplished directors, we’re excited to see these new stories come to life.
The cast and crew are currently hard at work filming The Witcher Season 2 in the United Kingdom, which began production this month. There is no scheduled release date for Season 2, but fans can expect its premiere on Netflix at some point in 2021.
In the meantime, The Witcher Season 1 is currently available to stream on Netflix and, for more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule for updated premiere dates and times.
