As coronavirus has increasingly become a public health risk many films and TV shows, such asRobert Pattinson’s Batman film,have had to alter or outright suspend their production schedules. Most Netflix productions have done the same, but it appears that Netflix’sThe Witcherseason 2 may be an outlier.
Netflix has suspended production of its series that are filmed in the US and Canada for two weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, series likeStranger Thingshave had production put on hold due to the public health risk that coronavirus poses. Netflix is not alone though, with other studios such as Disney and Warner Bros. also deciding to suspend production on many of their series. However, sinceThe Witcheris filmed in the UK, it appears that this policy doesn’t yet apply to its production despite the UK’s own outbreak.
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The Witcher’s first season was released in December of 2019, and it was overall well-received by fans.The Witcheris one of Netflix’s most popular shows, so Netflix may be anxious to stay on schedule despite concerns surrounding coronavirus. With the series being renewed even before the first season released, it’s clear that Netflix sees a lot of potential inThe Witcher. Considering that, it does make sense that Netflix would want to continue to capitalize onThe Witcher’s success, coronavirus or not.
Thoughcoronavirus is causing events as major as E3 2020 to be canceled, it appears thatThe Witcherwill continue to film without interruption at this point. There haven’t been any significant changes to the production schedule as of yet, so it can be assumed that things are going forward as planned. That being said, it’s nearly impossible to predict what will happen in the future. As the coronavirus outbreak continues or even worsens—particularly in the UK—Netflix might reconsider its priorities and put a hold onThe Witcher’s production.
WhileThe Witcherstaying on schedule is on one hand good to hear, it’s important that public health be considered. At a time where many TV shows and films are being delayed because of coronavirus, likeF9which has been delayed for a year, some may think this decision is irresponsible on Netflix’s part. Ensuring the health ofThe Witcher’s cast and crew, as well as their family and friends, is ultimately the most important thing to consider. Hopefully, Netflix will halt production onThe Witcherseason 2 if coronavirus begins to present a clear danger to the people working on it.
