And things were going so well. Production on Netflix’s The Witcher Season 3 has reportedly been halted due to lead actor Henry Cavill contracting COVID. As revealed by Redanian Intelligence, filming on the third season of The Witcher was due to commence earlier this week, but things were quickly brought to a sudden stop when Cavill tested positive for the dreaded virus.
The crew behind The Witcher Season 3 were reportedly ready to start filming a major battle sequence, the Thanedd coup, which should be familiar to those who have read the source material. The sequence is expected to involve most of the principal cast, Henry Cavill included, and cannot be filmed without the lead star. Thus, production has stopped until Cavill recovers. Here's hoping all is well with the actor and that he can get back to slaying monsters soon.
This is not the first time that The Witcher has been plagued by the coronavirus. Production on The Witcher Season 2 was also suddenly brought to a standstill back in 2020, which in fact pushed the release of the season back to December of 2021. The Witcher Season 3 was about to enter its final month of production in August; however, the upcoming third season has not yet been given a release date by Netflix. Hopefully, this delay will not affect things too drastically.
The Witcher Season 3 Sees Henry Cavill Return as Geralt of Rivia
Debuting back in 2019, the first season of The Witcher introduces audiences to Man of Steel star Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. Based on the book series of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is set on the fictional, medieval-inspired landmass known as "the Continent," The Witcher explores the legend of Geralt and princess Ciri, who are linked by destiny to each other.
Since release, The Witcher, and particularly Henry Cavill’s performance as Geralt, have proven to be hugely popular with viewers. A second season premiered last year and follows the monster hunter as he brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows - his childhood home of Kaer Morhen.
The official synopsis for The Witcher Season 3 teases what’s to come saying, “As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it,” the synopsis for the third season of The Witcher reads. “Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line — or risk losing each other forever.”
Created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and starring Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, and Anya Chalotra, The Witcher Season 3 does not yet have a release date, but will once again debut on Netflix.