'The Witcher' Production Shut Down Again Due to Positive COVID-19 Tests

The Witcher has halted production yet again due to more coronavirus cases on set, according to a report by Deadline. The Netflix original series has been filming in the U.K. — one of the few places with loose enough restrictions for the production to go on, until now. There were four positive cases on Saturday, and Netflix is planning an extensive round of testing looking for more.

The insiders told Deadline that the positive cases were not found in among the lead cast, though everyone involved with the show will be tested. Those closest to the cases are already in self-isolation, as are those who may have had close contact with them. The show was filming at Arborfield Studios outside of London, England, and Netflix reportedly intends to resume there once they can be reasonably sure it's safe. Sadly, this is the second time the show has gone on hold, so fans may be waiting even longer than they thought for new episodes.

The Witcher paused production back in March, with reports at the time saying that it was not just a precaution, and that coronavirus cases had been detected onset. Soon after that, it was reported that actor Kristofer Hivju had survived COVID-19. Hivju is well-known to fantasy fans for his role as Tormund Giantsbane on Game of Thrones, and he will play a big part in The Witcher Season 2 as well.

The Witcher's first pause stretched from March until August, and even then it only resumed with serious safety precautions in place. There is no word yet on when the show might get back to work, and because of that uncertainty, it's unclear when the season might premiere on Netflix.

In the meantime, Netflix has continued to capitalize on the immense success of The Witcher. The streaming giant has now announced two spin-offs of the series, both from The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, with other writers' help on the original series.

The first to be announced was The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf — an animated feature film about Geralt of Rivia's origin as a Witcher. It reportedly focuses on his relationship with Vesemir, the Witcher who was his teacher. Studio Mir will produce it in the anime style Netflix has had success with in the past.

The second spin-off is The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel set even further back in time — about 1,200 years before the main story. This show will reportedly focus on the origin of Witchers themselves, and the mysterious source of magic in the Witcher franchise in general.

Sadly, there is no word yet on when any of these new productions are coming our way, and the coronavirus pandemic continues to intercede. The Witcher Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix.