Filming for the final season of ‘The Witcher,’ under new lead Liam Hemsworth, has started in South Africa. Ciri’s storyline involves conflicts in a crime lord’s fighting pit, intertwining with the spinoff ‘The Rats.’ Production is expected to continue until September 2025, with the release slated for 2026.
Filming for the final season of ‘The Witcher,’ led now by Liam Hemsworth, has officially commenced in Cape Town, South Africa, as of February 26, 2025. This season marks the culmination of nearly seven years since the initial season began production in November 2018 in Budapest. Uniquely, filming began on location rather than at their Longcross Studios base in England, using existing sets from the spinoff, ‘The Rats: A Witcher’s Tale.’
In the initial scenes of Season 5, Freya Allan’s character, Ciri, is set to engage in battles within a fighting pit controlled by a crime lord named Dominik Houvenaghel, whose storyline intertwines with characters from the spinoff. The town where the filming takes place is unnamed in the series but is identified as Ebbing in the source material. Ciri’s predicament arises after a violent encounter involving Leo Bonhart, as she faces being captured and thrust into combat.
The production also utilized various striking outdoor locations, including Cederberg’s rocky landscapes and caves near Stellenbosch, where numerous staged corpses were spotted, notably those related to Ciri’s storyline. Notably, Anya Chalotra and Anna Shaffer, who portray Yennefer and Triss, respectively, were present for a week of filming, hinting at parallel narratives for their characters in Season 5. However, neither Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt nor his companions have yet appeared in South Africa.
With only the first month of filming completed, the entire production for The Witcher Season 5 is projected to continue through September 2025, targeting a release for 2026. As of now, Netflix has refrained from public announcements regarding the filming status of the final season, remaining notably quiet on developments following the disappointing reception of ‘Sirens of the Deep,’ which debuted in February 2025. Season 4 is anticipated to premiere sometime later in 2025.
In summary, the final season of ‘The Witcher’ has begun filming in South Africa, marking an end to a nearly seven-year journey for the series. Key plot elements involving Ciri and a crime lord are set to unfold in this season, with several familiar characters expected to return. While production is currently underway with extensive outdoor shoots, the full season remains scheduled for a 2026 release, as details continue to develop.
Original Source: www.whats-on-netflix.com
