As the release date for the second season of Netflix’s the Witcher crawls forward like an army of Nilfgaardians, the streaming service has decided to flood us with a ton of information, trailers, images, and other relevant promotional content.
Netflix held a three-hour long stream on its YouTube channel and other social media platforms over the weekend. The “fan event” was called “Tudum”, which is apparently a reference to the distinctive drumbeat you hear at the start of Netflix’s audio logo.
Anyway, the Tudum event (are we really calling it that?) was chock full of trailers, teasers, and other promotional material for a wide variety of shows including the opening for the live action Cowboy Bebop.
That being said, this article will be focusing on the information that was revealed regarding the upcoming season of the Witcher, along with an upcoming spin-off.
Let’s break it down.
Witcher: Blood Origin BTS Teaser
The first thing we will be looking at is the behind-the-scenes teaser for the series known as Witcher: Blood Origin.
According to Netflix, the series will be a 6-part live action miniseries set 1200 years before the world of the Witcher.
The teaser showcased showrunner Declan De Barra who went around the sets at Arborfield Studios (where it is being filmed) and teased some aspects of the show to us. He struck a semi-serious, mostly humorous tone during the proceedings.
De Barra also revealed that they would be filming on location in Iceland.
To us, the most interesting revelation is that this story would be taking place before the celestial event in the Witcher universe known as the Conjunction of Spheres.
To the uninitiated, the Conjunction of Spheres is an event where many planes of existence (think dimensions) in the Witcher universe crossed over and scattered “unusual” creatures all over the world. This is why there are monsters in Geralt’s world.
We are quite interested to see where this miniseries goes. Especially if they want to depict the Conjunction and how the world responds.
Another Anime Movie and a… Kids Show?
Here’s a reveal that had us scratching our heads.
Apparently, Netflix plans to expand the world of the Witcher by producing another animated movie and “a fun-filled kids and family series”.
Let’s talk about the anime first and get it out of the way.
The first animated Witcher film Netflix released was called the Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and starred Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir.
Though this second movie has been announced, no character or plot details have been announced.
Personally, we wouldn’t say no to a Lambert story, but only if it comes with extra sarcasm.
That aside, Netflix also said that there would be a kids show set in the Witcher universe coming soon.
This news has us scratching our heads as the world of the Witcher is generally quite dark and bleak (though it is not without its humor and beauty).
Adapting it for kids might be its most radical reimagining yet, though that is not to say that a kids show can’t be thoughtfully made and of high quality.
Time will tell what this new animated movie and kids show will be like.
First Look at Season 2
Netflix then went on to share two clips and a trailer to provide a look at the second season. In this section, we’ll go over the clips.
The first clip shows an interaction between Geralt and Ciri. They seem to be in some kind of house at night where they are being hounded by a bruxa.
For the uninitiated, a bruxa is a very powerful vampire that takes on the appearance of a young woman with dark hair, but actually looks like a large black bat with fangs and claws. You can see one in this early trailer for The Witcher 3 – Wild Hunt.
The clip also shows Geralt imbibing one of the Witcher potions from the games and books. It makes his skin go pale white and his eyes turn black, which is likely due to the potion’s high level of toxicity.
The theorists in the Emmen team are currently speculating if this potion is the one from the games known as “Black Blood”. It is a potion that makes one’s blood toxic to any monster that consumes it, making it the perfect defense against a vampire.
Moving on to the next clip, it is a totally different vibe altogether.
Where the first one was going for scary and action, showing the battle-ready side of Geralt, the second one seems to be going for drama, light comedy, and a pinch of heartwarming.
The second clip shows Geralt hanging out with a monster. But instead of battling, they are talking, drinking, and throwing daggers into a portrait of a noble-looking man.
This monster is a man named Nivellen and appeared in the Last Wish (the book), his story is loosely inspired by the story of Beauty and the Beast.
This clip has Nivellen and Geralt discussing the ritual children undergo to become Witchers. It’s called the Trial of the Grasses and is a harrowing ordeal of physical and mental trauma during which only an average of 4 out of 10 participants survive.
There is a slight melancholy to the mood, despite Nivellen’s seemingly jovial personality. Geralt himself seems mostly at ease and is quite talkative, which is nice to see.
All in all, it looks pretty good. Especially Nivellen’s phenomenal makeup.
In fact, the makeup was so good that we were positively SHOCKED to learn that Nivellen was played by none other than Game of Thrones alum Kristofer Hivju aka Tormund Giantsbane!
Season 2 Trailer
After all that teasing, Netflix also decided to drop the whole season 2 trailer on us.
Before we even talk about it, here’s the trailer.
Anyway, this trailer was quite something. And we mean that in the positive and negative way.
Let’s briefly touch on what we didn’t like before gushing about what we did like.
The main issue we have with this trailer is the fact that parts of its limited runtime (3 minutes 07 seconds) is spent on clips from the previous season.
While a reminder is always nice and some people do need it, perhaps creating a separate clipshow from previous episodes might be the way to go.
Fans have been waiting for this trailer with bated breath for many months. More new footage would have been ideal.
That being said, there is an argument to be made that the clips from the first season are being used as a way to show us how far these characters have come since then.
Moving on to what we actually liked about it… there’s quite a bit.
Firstly, Geralt and Ciri interacting just fills our hearts with joy. It’s nice to see someone often seen as a stoic badass show his more caring side.
Anyway, according to the trailer, Geralt has taken Ciri over to Kaer Morhen, the hidden home of Witchers from the School of the Wolf. This is the group that Geralt himself belongs to.
The next point that caught our eyes was the debut of Kim Bodnia (from Killing Eve) as Vesemir. Vesemir is Geralt’s mentor and father figure. He will likely play a very key role in the second season.
We also see Ciri beginning to train using a sword, which is awesome. Fans who know her from the games are likely excited to see just how far this goes.
Moving on, we also see what Yennefer is up to.
It seems that she was captured by Fringilla and the Nilfgaardians. But before they could take her away to be imprisoned and worse, the group is attacked by some other party and both Sorceresses are taken prisoner.
We also see a brief clip of Jaskier with longer hair, singing his heart out. Are we about to get a sequel to last season’s banger, “Toss a Coin to your Witcher”?!
Count. Us. In!
The Witcher Season 3 Announced
This is the last piece of Witcher news they dropped.
Apparently, the Powers That Be at Netflix have deemed that this show will get a third season confirmed before the second season even airs.
There’s not much to discuss here other than the fact that it has been announced and will continue the story.
Where exactly the story will be picking up from and what’s happened to the characters… well, only season 2 can reveal that.
For now, enjoy this little clip they shared.
And there you have it, dear reader! The Emmen Gaming breakdown of the witchiest Witcher updates that you could toss a coin to.
Considering the quality of the first season, we are quite excited to see what the team behind the shw will bring to the table with season 2.
Now, we open the floor to you, dear reader.
What did you think of all these Witcher updates? Are you looking forward to the new season, the spin-off miniseries, or even the anime? Heck, what about the kids show?
We’d love to hear what you think!
In the meantime, remember to stay safe from Drowners and always pay your local Witchers for their service.
Emmen Gaming 