Netflix The Witcher Spinoff Canceled, Scenes Being Turned Into Season 4 Flashbacks

The Rats was supposed to revolve around six teenage thieves planning a major heist against a dangerous crime ring in the kingdom. The main characters included Giselher, Mistle, Kayleigh, Iskra, Reef, and Asse. Dolph Lundgren was set to play a rogue Witcher named Brehen from the School of the Cat. The series was filmed under the codename Riff Raff in Cape Town, South Africa.

Filming for The Rats was initially planned for six months but only lasted two, from early May to late June 2023. Initially, it seemed like the script had been shortened, but recent reports reveal that only one or two episodes were completed. After seeing early footage, Netflix decided not to proceed with an entire season of The Witcher spin-off.

The news comes shortly after Netflix confirmed via X that The Witcher will end after Season 5. That means that the last three books by Andrzej Sapkowski will be condensed into two seasons instead of each book getting its own season as previously planned. Seasons 4 and 5 will be filmed back to back, while Netflix is also developing an animated film set in the Witcher universe.

The clip shared, along with the Netflix update about The Witcher, shows Liam Hemsworth, who replaces Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, during a table read with the rest of the cast. Consecutive seasons ensure that Hemsworth will get plenty of time to showcase his take on the character. Even though some fans were sad to see Cavill leave, many are willing to give the show a shot with its new main actor.

Liam Hemsworth previously expressed his excitement about joining the Netflix show when his casting was announced in 2022. “As a Witcher fan, I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia,” the actor said. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honored that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure.

Netflix’s The Witcher is expected to start filming later this year, with a possible release date in 2025 or later, considering the time required for post-production. The cast is expected to include most of the major characters from the previous seasons, along with new additions like Sharlto Copley as Leo Bonhart, James Purefoy as Skellan, and Laurence Fishburne as Regis.

The story is expected to follow the books by Andrzej Sapkowski, but the author has previously said that his ideas for the show were not taken on board. Season 4 follows Geralt as he searches for Ciri after the Thanned Coup. The Netflix summary says The Witcher will focus on Geralt, Yennefer (played by Anya Chalotra), and Ciri separately navigating through the war-torn Continent.

Unlike The Rats, which Netflix has scrapped, other flagship series spin-offs have made it to screens. This includes The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, which was released in 2021. It was followed by the prequel miniseries The Witcher: Blood Origin in December 2022.

Source: Redanian Intelligence