The Witcher casting director Sophie Holland has revealed that the series has been renewed for a fifth series at Netflix.
This is a big vote of confidence in the future of the franchise. Whilst we're still waiting for The Witcher season 3 to arrive at the end of June, it's safe to say that the news that season 3 would be Henry Cavill's final outing as Geralt of Rivia and that Liam Hemsworth would be replacing him wasn't exactly received well.
Sophie revealed the news in an interview with Deadline. Speaking to the publication, she said: "We're just about to start filming on season four with Liam Hemsworth and there will be a short gap then we go straight into season five."
Previously, Netflix had only confirmed that the show had been renewed for a fourth season back in October 2022, as part of the same announcement where they confirmed Henry Cavill would be parting ways with the show.
In the same interview, Sophie also revealed that The Witcher's fourth season will feature an "almost standalone" episode exploring "a completely new group of people", who are characters we meet in season 3 but who "come into their own in season four".
This sounds similar to how showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich teased that shapeshifting sorceress Philippa Eilhart is due to get an expanded role in season 3.
The character was introduced in the final episode of The Witcher season 2, but Hissrich told Total Film: "She is so important as we continue building the franchise.
"We get to understand what her politics are, what her relationships are. And of course, Philippa ends up having an agenda of her own, that becomes very prominent in season 4."
In other news that's sure to interest fantasy fans, we finally got a release date for The Wheel of Time season 2.
The second chapter in Amazon's other epic fantasy show (behind The Rings of Power, that is) will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, September 1. So, expect to see plenty more magic and monsters on your screen this year!
The Witcher season 3's first volume (episodes 1-5) will drop on Netflix on Thursday, June 29, with the remaining three episodes arriving one month later on Thursday, July 27.
If you're looking for more must-watch shows, check out our recommendations for the best fantasy TV shows, and the best Netflix shows you should be streaming right now.
