The third season of hit fantasy drama The Witcher has suffered a major setback. The Netflix drama starring Henry Cavill has had to pause filming following an outbreak of Covid-19 on set.
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According to multiple reports, production immediately ground to a halt on Monday without prior warning, just before the cast were due to film a major battle scene. While it's not known which members of the cast or crew have tested positive, the update comes amid rumours that the Geralt of Rivia actor himself has caught the virus.
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A spokesperson for the series confirmed on Wednesday that filming has "paused due to COVID" and added that it will "be up and running as soon as it is safe to do so".
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This isn't the first time the show, which has been shooting its latest episodes in the UK, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, has had to shut down due to coronavirus. Back in 2020, when the show was shooting its second season, production was delayed by several months as a result of the lockdown restrictions and even resulted in the release date being pushed back by several months.
© Photo: InstagramFilming for the new episodes was halted earlier this week and has not yet started up again
While season three doesn't yet have a release date and filming crews are far more equipped to deal with Covid-19 outbreaks than they were at the start of the pandemic, we've got our fingers crossed that the filming hiatus doesn't cause too much of a delay in getting the new episodes in the can.
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The synopsis for season three reads: "As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it.
"Entrusted with Ciri's magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl's untapped powers; instead, they discover they've landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line — or risk losing each other forever."
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