The Witcher star Henry Cavill has officially donned the white wig and returned to filming duties as Geralt of Rivia.
Indeed, production for the second season of Netflix’s hit fantasy show is now in full swing, it has been announced, with shooting taking place primarily in and around the UK. Alongside Cavill’s expected return as the titular monster hunter, co-stars Freya Allan (Ciri) and Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) are back for round two, as is Geralt’s carefree bard and friend, Jaskier (Joey Batey). Nothing out of the ordinary there, then, though alongside confirmation of recurring cast members, a number of new additions have also been revealed.
Among the seven so far named is Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju, who will play a character known as Nivellen in the live-action adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s best-selling book series.
As for story beats fans can expect the follow-up to tread, it’s tough to say. While Netflix’s initial season does primarily follow the source material, several major events are either depicted out of order or, more rarely, completely differently. Most notably, of course, is showrunner Lauren Hissrich’s decision to take small liberties with Geralt’s story and relationships – particularly with Ciri and Yennefer – who aren’t introduced to the overarching narrative until much later in the books.
In order to realize her vision in season 1, Hissrich opted to utilize non-linear storytelling and fragmented timelines. The resulting end product ultimately ended up being the cause of some controversy among audiences, many of which found themselves confused by what was unfolding on-screen. Netflix eventually remedied the criticism somewhat by providing an official timeline of events, but suffice it to say, Hissrich’s confirmation that time skips won’t be returning for season 2 has been met with overwhelming positivity.
The Witcher season 2 is due to release in 2021.
