The first season of Netflix’s The Witcher was an incredible hit. The second season has been highly anticipated, but with the global COVID-19 pandemic, production of most movies and television shows have been put on hold. However, with a recent announcement from the UK government, is appears The Witcher may be able to resume filming again.
The series is based on the acclaimed books by Andrzej Sapkowski and the subsequent video games. The first season already smashed the record of the final season of the much-critiqued Game of Thrones from HBO. Now more than ever, people crave high fantasy stories to escape the difficulty of the pandemic.
COVID-19 has delayed productions, so the original schedule for the release of The Witcher season two is likely to change drastically. But, a spokeswoman for the UK’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport stated:
The government is working closely with the screen sector to understand how different types of productions can comply with social distancing guidelines, and give confidence to people in the TV and film industries that there are safe ways in which they can return to work.”
Productions will still have to show they can ensure the safety of all cast and crew to begin filming. However, easing restrictions has been a highly controversial point, with many wanting to get the economies going again, while many others fearing a second wave that will put lockdowns back in place.
This move by the UK could also affect Matt Reeves’ Batman, BBC’s Peaky Blinders season six, and Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, all which stopped production due to the pandemic.
In the meantime, fans of The Witcher series will continue to wait to see the second season installment while still wishing for the safety of everyone involved in this extremely popular show.
