#What We Already Know About ‘The Witcher’ Season 2

It turns out that Netflix was wise to renew The Witcher for a second season before Season 1 had even premiered. The fantasy drama, based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, became Netflix’s biggest new show after 76 million member households checked it out within four weeks of its release, marking the streaming platform’s best-ever debut for an original TV series in its first season.

Now, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and the Witcher cast and crew are hard at work on Season 2.

“The reaction to Season 1 of The Witcher set a high bar for adding new talent for the second season,” Hissrich said recently, per Variety. “Sophie Holland and her casting team have once again found the very best people to embody these characters, and in the hands of these accomplished directors, we’re excited to see these new stories come to life.”

Scroll down for answers to FAQ about the show’s eight-episode sophomore season.

When will it air?

The plan was for a 2021 release, but then production in the United Kingdom shut down. Netflix did announce that filming will resume on August 17, but we’ll have to wait to see if it does and what effect the delay has on its release.

Who’s returning?

Henry Cavill, of course, will return as the witcher himself, Geralt of Rivia, joined by Anya Chalotra as quarter-elf sorceress Yennefer, Freya Allan as princess Ciri, and Joey Batey as bard Jaskier.

As for supporting characters, fans will once again see MyAnna Buring as Tissaia, Tom Canton as Filavandrel, Lilly Cooper as Murta, Jeremy Crawford as Yarpin Zigrin, Eamon Farren as Cahir, Mahesh Jadu as Vilgefortz, Terence Maynard as Artorius, Lars Mikkelson as Stregobor, Mimi Ndiweni as Fringilla Vigo, Royce Pierreson as Istredd, Wilson Radjou-Pujalte as Dara, Anna Shaffer as Triss Merigold, and Therica Wilson-Read as Sabrina, per Variety.

Who’s joining the cast?

Eight new actors have signed on the dotted line for Season 2: Killing Eve‘s Kim Bodnia as Vesemir, Dolittle’s Carmel Laniado as Violet, Young Wallender’s Yasen Atour as Coen, Peaky Blinders’ Paul Bullion as Lambert, F9’s Thue Ersted Rasmussen as Eskel, The Danish Girl’s Aisha Fabienne Ross as Lydia, Britain’s Next Top Model winner Mecia Simson as Francesca, newcomer Agnes Bjorn as Vereena, and Game of Thrones’ Kristofer Hijvu — Tormund! — as Nivellen.

Who are the new witchers?

Three of those new characters are witchers, as Mashable points out. In the books, Eskel is one of Geralt’s buddies from the witcher training ground Kaer Morhen, and he even looks like Geralt, aside from his huge facial scar. Lambert, meanwhile, is a reluctant witcher who trains Ciri in combat, and Coen is a pox-scarred witcher who develops a bond with the princess. In addition to those characters, the show is introducing Vesemir, the oldest and most experienced witcher at Kaer Morhen.

Who’s directing?

Stephen Surjik (The Umbrella Academy) will direct 2×01 and 2×02, Sarah O’Gorman (Cursed) will direct 2×03 and 2×04, Ed Bazalgette (The Last Kingdom) will direct 2×05. and Geeta Patel (Meet the Patels) will direct 2×06 and 2×07 before Bazalgette comes back to helm the finale.

What can we watch in the meantime?

Netflix revealed in January that development was underway on an anime movie titled The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf from Witcher producers Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Beau DeMayo and the South Korean animation house Studio Mir. “The world of The Witcher expands in this anime film that explores a powerful new threat facing The Continent,” the longline touts. The movie does not have a release date, but it could start streaming before The Witcher’s Season 2 premiere.