Monster-hunting fans had a reason to rejoice recently as filming on the second season of The Witcher has officially been resumed. And Henry Cavill, who plays the titular character, Geralt of Rivia, has now shared a photo (see below) from the makeup chair. If you were wondering whether his lush Witcher-white tresses were real, now you know, they absolutely were not.
The actor shows off the new process of putting on his wig, which eschews the bald cap in favor of “2 types of medical tape and some glue.” If the picture incites any COVID-19-related anxiety with the team being so close together, Cavill says there’s no reason to be concerned, as they’ve all been tested. Those aren’t the only precautions being taken on set, however, as showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and director Stephen Surjik have been having their discussions through plastic barriers.
“No bald cap this year,” said Cavill in his caption. “Just pounds of 2 types of medical tape and some glue…. Removal is a joy. Jacqui and Ailbhe here, though, have the deft touch of angels. Jacqui more so an Angel of Vengeance, but that’s all part of her charm. Oh and for those who may be worrying. All of us are Covid cleared and bubbled. We get tested twice a week up here in Kaer Morhen!”
Precious little is known about the next run, but a release window of sometime in late 2021 is the predicted time frame for the new season to hit Netflix. And that’s to be expected, as the pandemic has played havoc on production schedules and arrangements all across the entertainment industry.
The franchise is also getting the spinoff treatment, as Netflix officially announced their upcoming project set within the same universe, The Witcher: Blood Origin. The show diverges from Geralt of Rivia’s tale and instead focuses on the origin story of the first Witcher and events that transpired 1200 years before Geralt’s timeline. It doesn’t have any release date attached to it yet, but we expect it to be with us well after season 2 has aired.
Of course, not everyone was a huge fan of the live-action adaption, with the confusing timeline-hopping narrative being cited as one of the main criticisms. But the series still managed to become the most popular TV show in the world and season 2 of The Witcher will reportedly streamline that aspect of its storytelling, ensuring that more people will be able to follow along.