‘The Witcher’ Season 3: What Will the Next Installment of the Netflix Fantasy Epic Be About?
The Witcher took viewers on another wild fantasy ride in season two. It impressed critics and fans alike while solidifying its status as one of the most popular shows on TV. The shocking finale also left fans itching for another installment — and hoping there won’t be another two-year delay.
However, with pre-production already rolling and plenty of buzz from the second installment, season three of The Witcher is positioned to be one of the biggest TV premieres of 2022. So what should fans expect?
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for season two of The Witcher.]
‘The Witcher’ had a strong second season by any measure
If the first season of The Witcher was a bit scattershot, the second season found its stride. Telling the tales of monster hunters (witchers) and other magical players in a mythical 13th century, The Witcher has some of the same elements as HBO’s smash-hit Game of Thrones. But it creates a unique world of its own in just two seasons. We should note the first novel of The Witcher series published in the 1992; the first in the Game of Thrones series published in 1996.
While deepening the backstories of main characters Ciri and Geralt, season two was heavy on both action and twists as the struggle for the Northern Kingdoms continued. Within the larger games of empire building, viewers got the full story of Ciri’s importance. There were plenty of eye-popping battles with magical creatures along the way. Along with the illumination of Ciri having Elder Blood, the season finale delivered new antagonists just stepping into focus.
Although critics most liked the first season, season two received nearly universal critical acclaim. (Rotten Tomatoes holds a 94% rating.) Netflix was so confident in the second season that they greenlit season three well before the season two premiere, reports Variety. Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich also confirmed with Collider that seven seasons’ worth of material has been outlined, although it’s extremely fluid.
What will season three of ‘The Witcher’ be about?
The Witcher‘s first season was adapted from a series of short stories by author Andrzej Sapkowski. Then, he extended the series with six full-length novels. Season two was an adaptation of the novel Blood of Elves. And season three is expected to mostly include the plot of Time of Contempt. In the novel, war is back on the table between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms. The main players get sucked into battles and prophecies along the way.
Fans of the books shouldn’t assume they can map out the entire third season of The Witcher. As Hissrich pointed out to Collider, the show’s writers are happy to shift plotlines to fit seasonal arcs, although she also made it clear she intends to stick to the source material. That’s probably for the best. With an enormous fan base encompassing both the book series and popular video games, there isn’t much incentive to stray from the path.
When will season three of ‘The Witcher’ come out?
The wait between seasons one and two was difficult as the pandemic ravaged the production schedule and caused shutdowns. Ultimately, season two premiered nearly two years to the day after the first season premiered. The next time around, however, fans hope production goes more smoothly. As the Redanian Intelligence points out, the writers are already deep in the pre-production process. Filming is expected to begin in the not-too-distant future.
Looking back at the production schedules for the first two seasons should also give fans reason for optimism. Season one started filming in March 2019, wrapped in May, and then released in December 2019. Although season two’s production was marred by shutdowns, filming finished in early April 2021 and there was plenty of time for post-production.
Even if producers are tight-lipped at the moment, a production that starts in the next couple of months and finishes in mid-to-late spring should put season three right on target for a December 2022 release. In the meantime, fans can get excited about The Witcher: Blood Origin. The six-episode prequel is set to stream at some point before the third season of the main series.
