Netflix series “The Witcher” returns with season 3 in the summer. The first trailer shows exciting scenes and the dream team Ciri, Yennifer and Geralt. Geralt has to defend Ciri. It’s a fight to the death!
- The Witcher Season 3 is based on the Witcher book “The Time of Contempt” by Andrzej Sapkowski.
- Netflix has revealed the release date of The Witcher Season 3: The new episodes will be released in two parts in the summer of 2023.
- A first trailer gives a glimpse of the exciting plot of the new episodes.
The fantasy series “The Witcher” returns with season 3 in summer 2023. Yennifer and the powerful wizard Geralt must protect Ciri from new dangers. Because numerous characters are hunting for the princess.
Why Netflix Is Splitting The Witcher Season 3 Into Two Parts?
The Witcher season 3 is coming soon to Netflix, but it won’t be released immediately. Instead, the fantasy series will be divided into two volumes, each with a different launch date. The first volume, which consists of five episodes, will debut on June 29, while the second volume, with the remaining three episodes, will follow on July 27. This is the first time that The Witcher has adopted this format, as previous seasons had been released in full.
The reason for this change is unclear, but it could be a way to generate more buzz and anticipation for the show, especially after the mixed reception of season 2 and the prequel series Blood Origin. It could also be a way to celebrate Henry Cavill’s final season as Geralt of Rivia, the titular witcher. Cavill’s departure from the show was a shocking news for fans, and his replacement by Liam Hemsworth has been met with mixed reactions. By splitting season 3 into two parts, Netflix could create a bigger event out of Cavill’s farewell and Hemsworth’s introduction.
The Witcher season 3 will be based on the second book in Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga, The Time of Contempt. It will follow Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and Jaskier as they face new dangers and enemies in a world where magic and politics are intertwined. Ciri’s mysterious powers will be explored further, as well as her connection to Geralt and Yennefer. The show will also introduce new monsters and storylines in the books or games that have not been seen before.
Why was Henry Cavill replaced in Witcher?
Henry Cavill’s departure from The Witcher after season 3 came as a shock to many fans, but he had already hinted at the reason for his decision in a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter in November 2021. Cavill said he was “absolutely” committed to playing Geralt for seven seasons, “As long as we can keep telling great stories which honor Sapkowski’s work.” However, it seems that the show was not faithful enough to the source material for Cavill’s liking, and he had some disagreements with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich over how Geralt should be portrayed. “A lot of the notes he was sending to me were about Geralt’s dialogue — could he, first of all, say more,” Hissrich said. “Everybody came out of season one laughing and loving Geralt’s fuming. But Henry said that when you read the books you spend a lot of time in Geralt’s head. So how can we put that on the page?”
Will The Witcher end after Season 3?
As mentioned above, The Witcher season 3 isn’t the series’ last, as it will continue with a fourth season, but it is the final one with Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. The announcement of Cavill leaving the series was a big shock for the audience, and reactions to Liam Hemsworth’s casting have been mixed.
The Witcher Season 3: Release Date
Netflix announced the release date of the 3rd season of “The Witcher”. The new episodes will be released in two parts this time. In the first part, five episodes will be released on June 29, 2023, and then only on July 27 you will receive the remaining three episodes of the series in the second part.
The Witcher Season 3 Plot: What the new episodes will be about
As for the plot, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has already commented, “It’s an entertaining season and it follows a particular book very closely, has a lot of action, a little death… a little bit of death.” Vague, yes, but we know exactly which book we’re talking about!
According to Hissrich, the plot of The Witcher Season 3 is very faithfully based on the second volume of the Geralt pentalogy, “The Time of Scorn.” The first season was based on short story anthologies and the second season on the first novel of the Geralt pentalogy.
In the second season’s finale, viewers learned who the “White Flame is.” Emhyr var Emreis is in fact Duny, Ciri’s father. In The Witcher Season 3, this cliffhanger is to be topped by another twist. Thus, wizard Vilgefortz reveals himself to be a cunning villain pursuing his own agenda. The scarred wizard Rience reveals himself as Vilgefortz’ assistant.
“The Time of Scorn” is about Ciri completing her training as a sorceress in Aretusa. There she meets Geralt of Riva again and during a magic congress there are riots and many wizards die. Geralt is badly wounded in the fight against Vilgefortz.
It is also revealed that Ciri is a direct descendant of the legendary rebel Falka and thus a “child of the Elder Blood”. This plotline was picked up in the second season.
Vilgefortz’s assistant Rience captures Ciri to take her to the Emperor of Nilfgaard, Emhyr var Emreis, called “The White Flame.” There she is freed by a gang of murdering and robbing youths, whom she subsequently joins.
But The Witcher Season 3 may diverge from the books in one respect. The Wild Hunt will play an important role in the new episodes of the Netflix series, after all, it was introduced in season 2 specifically for that reason. The Wild Hunt was not such a big issue in the books themselves, but the video game “The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt” made it the main antagonist.
The Wild Hunt is targeting Ciri, and it will be Geralt’s job to protect Ciri from them and help her defend herself against them.
The Witcher Season 3: Is there a trailer?
Netflix shows new trailer for The Witcher season 3, which promises an action-packed and emotional season. The criticism that Yennefer and Ciri should have a closer relationship, according to the books, has also been taken into account.
In addition, the 3rd season will try to save the relationship between Yennefer and Geralt.
Cast of The Witcher Season 3
The main role of Geralt of Rivia is still played by Henry Cavill. Anya Chalotra can be seen as Yennefer von Vengerberg, while Freya Allan takes on the role of Cirilla von Cintra. Joey Batey sings his way into the hearts of fans as a bard delphinium.
In addition to dream team Henry Cavill, Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra, the following actors return to represent their and roles:
- Henry Cavill as Geralt of Riva (For the Last Time).
- Freya Allan as Ciri
- Anya Chalotra as Yennefer
- Mahesh Jadu as Vilgefortz
- Chris Fulton as Rience
- Mecia Simson as Francesca Findabair
- Eamon Farren as Cahir
- Joey Batey as Larkspur
As we reported earlier, Safiyya Ingar will take on the role of Milva in season 3. Milva is a supremely talented archer who joins Geralt in his quest to find Ciri.
Season 3, by the way, represents the farewell of Henry Cavill. The already confirmed 4th season of “The Witcher” will feature Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher Season 3: Production
The new episodes will be shot in England, South Tyrol, Slovenia and Croatia. Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich will remain with the fantasy series as a showrunner.
In addition to “The Witcher” Season 3, fans can also expect a second installment of the anime film “Nightmare of the Wolf.”
The Witcher is a Netflix original, which is why streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ do not offer the fantasy highlight. We’ll tell you which novelties you can use to sweeten your wait for the new episodes at the end!
The Witcher: When is season 4 coming?
The sequel to the hit series will be released on Netflix in the summer of 2023. In The Witcher season 3, more from the novel “The Legacy of the Elves” is to be shown.
After season 3, however, lead actor Henry Cavill leaves the continent, from season 4 Liam Hemsworth will embody Geralt of Rivia. Season 4 has already been confirmed by Netflix, but more information about the season 4 is yet to be released such as plot, cast, and release window.
The Witcher: These spin-offs exist in the Witcher universe
Netflix constantly expands “The Witcher” to weave the universe more densely. So far, there has been the anime movie “Nightmare of the Wolf”. This one is about the young years of Geralt’s mentor Vesemir. The anime is not only a nice addition to the Witcher universe, but also provides important information for “The Witcher” season 2.
The first prequel “The Witcher: Blood Origin” was released on Christmas 2022. Netflix is also planning a series about the rat gang, which will be released between seasons 3 and 4 of the original series.
Geralt of Rivia – The Witcher (The Movie)
If you search the Internet for Witcher adaptations, you will stumble across the Polish film “Geralt of Rivia – The Witcher” from 2001, which was also continued by a series. Both were not well received by fans and critics and sharply criticized. However, neither has anything to do with the Netflix series. You can’t stream “Geralt of Rivia – The Witcher” on any streaming service.
The Witcher Alternatives: Shows like The Witcher
If you like fantasy series, you can’t miss “Game of Thrones“. The fantasy spectacle “Cursed: The Chosen” retells the legend of King Arthur and focuses on the young Nimue. The HBO drama “Westworld” is a fantasy adventure set in the present and future. In it, robots created by humans develop consciousness and want to be accepted by humans as independent beings.
