The ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus has dealt a devastating blow to the world throughout 2020, and it’s now reached nearly 50 million global cases and 1.25 million deaths. The United States remains the epicenter of the pandemic with total cases closing in on the 10 million mark and fatalities exceeding 250,000, with each day bringing in more of both.
But the effects of the virus haven’t only been increasing in the US, as the United Kingdom has also been hit harder and harder in recent months. And like the rest of the world, this has resulted in an overwhelming economic downturn that’s rocked the entertainment industry. In fact, production on one of Netflix’s most popular shows has now been paused due to an outbreak of COVID-19 on set.
The Witcher – based on the video game series of the same name – will cease production on its second season for a while after four positive cases were reported earlier today. All of those infected at Arborfield Studios have been isolated in the time since their tests were confirmed to be positive, and a new round of testing will now be administered to everyone else who’s been involved with the production.
This isn’t the first time during this tumultuous year that shooting has been halted for The Witcher, either. Back in the early months of the virus, actor Kristofer Hivju revealed that he’d tested positive, and the UK went into lockdown soon after, with Netflix ultimately postponing work on the show until August.
It’s uncertain when shooting will resume for the series, but even before this halt in production, the streaming giant had already made it clear that The Witcher‘s second outing wouldn’t air until sometime in late 2021. So, don’t expect to be seeing more of Henry Cavill’s take on Geralt of Rivia for quite some time.