The Witcher Season 2 Shuts Down Production After Positive COVID Tests

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The Witcher Season 2 Shuts Down Production After Positive COVID Tests

Netflix shuts down production on The Witcher season 2 again following multiple positive COVID-19 tests, but none from main cast members.

Netflix shuts down production on The Witcher season 2 after multiple positive COVID-19 tests. The first season of the highly-anticipated adaptation of The Witcher books and video games arrived on Netflix in 2019. Starring Henry Cavill as the legendary monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, the show was an instant success for the streaming service. This response was exactly what Netflix expected, as it was already announced The Witcher was returning for a second season due out in 2021.

Ever since viewers completed their binge-watch of season 1 last year, there has been plenty of interest in seeing where The Witcher's story goes next. There have been some details and photos from The Witcher season 2 officially released by Netflix, but others have been teased through set photos. However, the frequency of these images arriving online has been sporadic due to complications to filming caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Witcher had to stop filming early in 2020 due to the UK's lockdown, but the cast and crew have been busy working for the last few months.

According to Deadline, filming on The Witcher season 2 is being halted yet again. The outlet reports that four people associated with the series tested positive for COVID-19 today. It has not been revealed who among The Witcher's cast and crew tested positive, but it was reported none of them came from lead cast members. Those who have tested positive have already been isolated and another round of testing is coming to determine if it has spread. Netflix has yet to determine when filming will resume.

This is the first shutdown The Witcher season 2 has had to go through since resuming production in August. That's nearly three months of uninterrupted filming, and seemingly zero positive tests during that time. Without knowing who has tested positive now, it is unclear if production could continue without those affected if everyone else continues to test negative. It was previously reported that filming on The Witcher season 2 is set to continue into February 2021, but they will likely now extend production beyond whatever end date they had in mind.

The Witcher season 2 is just the latest big Hollywood production that has had to stop filming for some amount of time due to positive COVID-19 tests. Season 2 has already gone through some changes due to the pandemic, as Thue Ersted Rasmussen left his role as Eskel after he tested positive, leading Basil Eidenbenz to take his place. Meanwhile, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has previously said that the months-long shutdown allowed her and The Witcher season 2 team to change the scripts and improve the story. Since production is at a standstill again, perhaps more improvements to the show, and presumably the final episodes of season 2, will be made.