Highlights
- The Witcher Season 4 won't begin filming until 2024 due to industry-wide work stoppage caused by strikes.
- The strike has affected many shows, but fantasy series based in the UK, like The Witcher, were able to continue production.
- The delay in production could be due to various factors, including the need for Equity actors and the actor change-up for the lead role of Geralt.
Netflix's The Witcher was one series on the fast track for production, but according to recent reports, season 4 won’t start filming until 2024.
The Witcher seemed impervious to the work stoppage occurring industry-wide. As of May 2023, the Writers Guild of America went on strike due to studios not meeting their demands for fair wages, causing a setback for many shows, including Daredevil: Born Again and The Penguin. Only some months later, they were joined by SAG-AFTRA in a move not seen since the '60s. It has been decades since the WGA and SAG-AFTRA went on strike simultaneously, and the labor dispute has effectively stopped any narrative film and television production. The only series that seemed to skate by unscathed were the few fantasy series based in the U.K. Shows like House of the Dragon and The Witcher could continue production because their actors do not belong to SAG-AFTRA, but Equity, the actors union across the pond.
Because of this, it seemed like fans would be able to see Liam Hemsworth take up the mantle of one of the strongest Witchers, Geralt of Rivia, sooner rather than later. But according to a recent report, season 4 may be farther away than initially thought. According to a news site for all things The Witcher, Redanian Intelligence reported that production for the Netflix series is delayed. Originally, predictions had The Witcher season 4 starting filming as soon as September 2023. Now, however, it looks like fans cannot expect filming to begin until 2024.
Fans can only speculate why The Witcher has been delayed, but it likely has to do with the strike. Equity actors may be able to continue filming, but many more components go into making a cohesive television season. Filming may require writers' services even after scripts are officially turned in. Rewrites happen on set all the time to punch up dialogue or even make continuity corrections. Then there is also the added stressor of the actors on strike. Even if most of The Witcher's actors are from the U.K., the actor taking over portal-hating Geralt is Australian. Production could shoot around Hemsworth's absence, but it's difficult to film a show without your main character.
This actor change-up could not have come at a worse time for The Witcher. Henry Cavill poured his heart and soul into portraying Geralt to the best of his ability. A devout player of the games and avid book reader, he had always advocated for staying true to the source material. Fans may never know why he decided to retire before his contract concluded, but it seems like the nail in the coffin for the series. Recasting the lead is one thing, but the show has always been divisive. From claims of confusing timelines to controversies around The Witcher writers' room mocking the source material, it’s hard to see if anyone will follow up with the show once the creative strike concludes.
The Witcher seasons 1-3 are currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: Redanian Intelligence