Netflix’s The Witcher roared out the gate in late 2019 to become a fan favorite and a ratings smash. The company was overjoyed at the success of their response to Game of Thrones and immediately made plans for six more seasons (and a couple of spinoffs). Had everything gone as they hoped, the next run would’ve aired in late 2020, roughly a year after the first one. But then the problems began and the show has since suffered a number of nightmares.
COVID-19 hit it particularly hard, with confirmed cases in the crew causing a full shutdown of production and subsequent national lockdowns in the UK keeping the series on ice. But by December 2020, work had resumed and it looked as if things might be in the clear… right up until Henry Cavill badly injured his hamstring while shooting an action scene. Of course, this severely limited what they can do and may result in season 2 not seeing release until very late in 2021.
Now, Cavill has provided an update via Instagram, telling us that despite the snowy weather in the UK, his rehab is going well and work on the show is continuing. Here’s what he had to say:
“Monday to Friday I’m up at 0430 to get a few hours rehab in before my work day starts. Some mornings are rough, but I do always get to see the dawn by the time I’m finishing up. The snow made this one even more enjoyable, if not a touch chilly!”
But even if Cavill is soon back to fighting fitness, it’s possible we’ll see further delays due to the UK currently being on another strict lockdown. COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed over the last month, with the nation at one point in January having the highest death rate of any major country in the world. There are exceptions to the lockdown for film and TV shoots, but there’s still a chance that the government could slam the brakes on if the situation worsens.
For now, the show seems to be moving ahead, but by the time The Witcher returns to Netflix, it may be two whole years since the first season premiered. Fingers crossed it comes in before we reach that anniversary, because I’m itching to see what Geralt and friends do next.
