It appears work has begun again on The Witcher Season 2 for Netflix, and it seems to be ahead of schedule. It was previously reported that production would resume on August 17, but photos have emerged from the set that suggest things have already gotten underway.
Director Stephen Surjik said on Twitter that August 5 was his first day back on set. He shared a photo of himself with showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich, and the pair are watching scenes on a monitor, separated by a shield barrier. This is presumably one of the new health and safety measures.
First day back after mid spring lock down on Witcher S2. Learning to social distance with my show runner /Exec producer, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. She can conjure narrative and character with a muscular control like the great Houdini. @LHissrich pic.twitter.com/HVHpuDPSd1
— Stephen D Surjik (@SSurjik) August 5, 2020
Hissrich, meanwhile, shared a photo of herself with a mask and a shield covering her face, which again seems to be part of the new protocols on the set of The Witcher.
I answered a FaceTime call on set from my seven year old in this PPE.
He very politely said, “Hi, can I speak to Mommy please?” pic.twitter.com/nTygJZdg3H
— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) August 6, 2020
The new season of The Witcher was in production at Arborfield Studios, 40 miles from London, when it closed down in March. It was the first major production to be suspended in the UK, after actor Kristofer Hivju tested positive for the virus.
While The Witcher Season 2 doesn’t have a confirmed release date, Hissrich previously stated that it would appear sometime in 2021. “We don’t want to rush the product,” she said in January. “That doesn’t benefit anyone.” Hissrich has also suggested that the story of The Witcher Season 2 will be easier to follow than that of Season 1, which was spread over different timelines. “The story will be much more linear, now that the three characters’ stories have started to intersect,” she explained.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Freya Allan as Ciri, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Eamon Farren as Cahir, and Joey Batey as Jaskier. It’s based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, which in turn inspired the popular video game series.
