Netflix is notorious for spending a substantial amount of money on its ever-growing catalog of movies and TV originals, with the streaming giant shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars a year for its high-profile projects. One show that has generated quite a buzz (and not the good kind) lately is the upcoming fourth season of the spellbinding fantasy series The Witcher. The series is an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, which famously featured Henry Cavill as the magically enhanced monster hunter Geralt of Rivia.
Cavill headlined the series for three seasons before announcing his surprising departure in October 2022, with The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth taking over the lead role. The announcement was met with intense skepticism and frustration from fans over the direction the series was taking. However, it appears that Netflix is willing to take the financial risk with both Hemsworth and the impending latest season, if its budget is any indication.
Cavill Devastates Fans With His Shocking Exit From ‘The Witcher’
A longtime fan of the books and games, Cavill had actively campaigned to star in the Netflix adaptation, which premiered on December 20, 2019. It became a hit with audiences, racking up 541 million hours viewed in its first 28 days. The fantasy series would go on to become the platform’s most-watched original series launch at the time until Bridgerton and Squid Game surpassed it. Audiences couldn’t get enough of the show’s enchanting worldbuilding and magic, with Cavill dominating the role of the fearless monster hunter.
After three seasons as Geralt of Rivia, Cavill left devoted fans heartbroken when it was announced he would be departing the series, as the Man of Steel star had previously committed to its seven-season plan. His decision reportedly stemmed from the fact that the show’s writers had heavily diverged from the source material, with Cavill feeling that they had taken too many creative liberties that did not remain faithful to Sapkowski’s work. As a result, The Hunger Games alum Liam Hemsworth was announced to be taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia, garnering a mixed bag response from fans.
Cavill’s surprising exit left many devoted viewers even more concerned about the direction the series was heading, as it had already experienced a 30% drop in viewership following the premiere of its third season, long before the actor announced his departure. And yet, Netflix has seemingly decided to go all in with Hemsworth and the future of The Witcher. Instead of cutting the budget for the upcoming fourth season, the streaming giant decided to increase it. Given all the challenges and shakeups the fantasy series has faced ahead of its latest installment, choosing to make a lofty gamble and invest more money in a show with a questionable pay-off is baffling.
Netflix Goes All in With ‘The Witcher’ Season 4 Budget
According to a report by Redanian Intelligence, the first season of The Witcher had a budget of $11.5 million per episode, and the second season increased to $22 million. In comparison, the third (and final with Cavill) decreased slightly to $21.8 million. The upcoming installment with Hemsworth saw the budget balloon to a whopping $27 million per episode. The total for the season is reportedly $221 million, a jaw-dropping amount when you factor in the mounting fan skepticism, decline in audience interest, and the departure of the original face of the series, Cavill.
While there’s no denying that Hemsworth will give the character of Geralt of Rivia his own unique spin, the actor has some pretty big shoes to fill. To put the season’s hefty $221 million budget in perspective, the sci-fi juggernaut Stranger Things‘ fourth season had an estimated budget of $270 million. However, Stranger Things reached 1.352 billion hours of viewership in its first 28 days and became the most-watched English-language series ever. The Witcher does not seem poised to replicate that kind of streaming magic, given its previous track record. However, only time will tell whether Netflix’s gamble will pay off or break the bank. The Witcher returns with Season 4 on October 30, 2025.
- Release Date
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December 20, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
- Directors
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Stephen Surjik, Charlotte Brändström, Edward Bazalgette, Loni Peristere, Louise Hooper, Bola Ogun, Alex Garcia Lopez, Gandja Monteiro, Sarah O’Gorman
- Writers
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Haily Hall, Clare Higgins, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jenny Klein, Tania Lotia
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Anya Chalotra
Yennefer of Vengerberg
