‘The Witcher’ Season 2: More Filming, New Nilfgaard Armor & Director

RedanianIntelligence returns for their recap of all the October 2020 news regarding Netflix’s The Witcher and some new snippets of information for The Witcher season 2 coming in 2021.

During the month of October, the leading cast members of Netflix’s The Witcher (including Superman Henry Cavill) have been filming across the beautiful countryside of Northern England.

Other than Cavill, who plays Geralt, we were able to find the show’s female stars Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri) on location. Also on set were our favorite Nilfgaardians Eamon Farren (Cahir) and Mimi Ndiweni (Fringilla), who were seen sporting completely new Nilfgaardian costumes, a change from season one’s controversial design.

We also got our first glimpse at Mecia Simson, the powerful elven sorceress Francesca. She appears to be part of a different storyline than in the books. For a summary of the scenes filmed (with pictures), as well as an introduction to season two’s newest director, read our roundup below.

This article has MILD SPOILERS about season 2 of The Witcher. These images may not be suitable if you don't have any prior knowledge and wish to view the entire season. Continue reading at your discretion.

Topics covered in part 1 of November 2020’s roundup:

• Henry Cavill’s Geralt spotted filming with Roach and a lot of blood
• Yennefer, Ciri and Ciri team up to film at Low Force Waterfall
• Louise Hooper is now the director of The Witcher Season 2.
• The new Nilfgaardian armour: Cahir, Fringilla and the Fountains Abbey set
• First look at Francesca Findabair, a sorceress. It is a marked departure from the novels.

Henry Cavill’s Geralt spotted filming with Roach and a lot of blood

https://twitter.com/DRAutoart/status/1322285858679099394

Henry Cavill, a Yorkshire horseman and filmmaker was caught on film at Plumpton Rocks near the end October. Cavill was filming with Zeus, his trusty horse companion better known as Roach. Unbeknownst to Cavill, an observer noticed that the crew was cleaning fake blood from Zeus after filming had finished. This suggests that Geralt was riding on horseback. We sure hope that isn’t Roach’s blood! This wasn’t the first time onlookers caught Cavill on camera, as the same thing happened the week before.

After a 5-month COVID hiatus, The Witcher's second season was back in production just a few months ago. Film and TV productions have had to film during the epidemic, which included masks and regular virus testing. It’s good to see that even series star Henry Cavill is following these guidelines, as can be seen in his second picture from filming in the Yorkshire Dales.

COVID-19 is a different kind of monster than the Kikkimoras and Strigas Geralt is used to, but we’re certain the witcher will manage just fine. Filming in the Yorkshire Dales was centered around the town of Malham, specifically near the limestone cliffs at Gordale Scar and the waterfall of Janet’s Foss. It is believed that both Geralt (and Ciri) were involved in the scenes shot there.

The Witcher spent several days before filming in Dales. Cavill was photographed at three different locations in nearby Lake District. Cavill, Allan and Zeus graced the beautiful Blea Tarn lake with their presence. Another sequence was shot in Hodge Close Quarry. This time it involved Geralt and his witcher brother Lambert, (Paul Bullion), as well as at least one Wolf. You can guess the scene as well as we.

Yennefer, Ciri and Ciri team up to film at Low Force Waterfall

Picture: Just Jared

The Witcher's first season ended with Geralt finding Ciri. However, it became clear that the Witcher clan is incomplete without Yennefer, a sorceress from Vengerberg. Anya Chalotra beautifully portrays this role in The Witcher. Even Freya Allan’s Ciri was aware of this, as the first season’s final line was: “Who’s Yennefer?” And so, it should come as no surprise that season two will answer Ciri’s question.

Chalotra and Allan were filmed together at Low Force Waterfall, County Durham. Photographer Terry Blackburn captured the scene (via Daily Mail & Just Jared). It appears that this scene is from season 2, in which Yennefer (and Ciri) are travelling across the country. The sorceress and her ward tried to cross a river but found that it had fallen. Naturally, that wouldn’t stop Yennefer of Vengerberg or her fierce adoptive daughter Ciri, as it seems they will be using magic to restore the bridge and allow safe crossing.

One of the most memorable scenes in Blood of Elves is the developing romance between Yennefer (Ciri) and is being adapted by the series for season 2. Indeed, we’re excited to see these characters sharing scenes. It’s also great to see that new costume designer Lucinda Wright is able to capture the spirit of the characters in their season two outfits. The full Redanian Report has a gallery of photos from Low Force Waterfall.

Louise Hooper is now the director of The Witcher Season 2.

Before the pandemic took the world by storm and rearranged everyone’s schedules, The Witcher season two had already settled on four directors. Among them were Umbrella Academy’s Stephen Surjik, The Last Kingdom’s Sarah O’Gorman and Ed Bazalgette, and The Magicians’ Geeta Patel. Netflix replaced Patel by a new director due to the COVID break.

Louise Hooper previously directed episodes of Holby City and Doctors, as well as several miniseries (most recently Fresh and Blood). Hooper was first seen filming The Witcher with Henry Cavill in the Lake District’s Rydal Cave, and her name later appeared in a list of directors for the show on a reliable industry website.

Assuming Hooper has taken over Patel’s episodes, the new director will be in charge of the sixth and seventh episodes of season two, and she was likely filming the Yennefer and Ciri scene mentioned above among others.

The new Nilfgaardian armour: Cahir, Fringilla and the Fountains Abbey set

Perhaps the most controversial element of The Witcher’s first season is the curious design choice of the Nilfgaardian armor, worn by Eamon Farren’s knight Cahir and many, many extras. Large sections of The Witcher's fandom criticized the black and wrinkled armor. Lauren Hissrich, showrunner, decided to make the Nilfgaardians look better in season 2. We finally get our first glimpse at the Nilfgaarddian armor with Lucinda Wright as costume designer.

A few months ago, Redanian Intelligence reported that The Witcher will be filming in one of England’s most beautiful ruins: Fountains Abbey. Thankfully, the rumor was confirmed towards the end of October with a casting call for elven extras and a listing on the Abbey’s website. It was in the Abbey’s beautiful water gardens that photographer Terry Blackburn managed to capture Nilfgaardian cast members Eamon Farren and Mimi Ndiweni (who plays the magnetic sorceress Fringilla Vigo).

Francesca Findabair will also be featured in Season 2.

The novels are not the only way to see Francesca Findabair, our first glimpse at her as a sorceress.

Back in February, Netflix announced a list of new cast members who would be joining Cavill, Chalotra, and Allan in The Witcher’s second season. Francesca will be played by Mecia Simson, actress and model.

Simson’s character is a resourceful elven sorceress and an important political figure in Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels. It appears that her character will be further explored in the show as she has been described as a “lead role”. Francesca will be joined by season one’s elven king Filavandrel (Tom Canton) as well as a rebel army of elves known to book readers as the Scoia’tael (the Squirrels). These guerilla fighters are very important to future events in Sapkowski’s saga.

From Terry Blackburn’s photos, it’s clear that Netflix has retained Francesca’s other-worldly beauty (for instance, her dress is inlaid with peacock feathers), yet one major deviation from the novel stands out: Francesca appears to be pregnant. This isn’t the first time we hear of Francesca becoming a mother in the show, as the new storyline was alluded to in a leak by insider Daniel Richtman earlier this year. Besides her pregnancy, Netflix is also adding an original character called Gage (Kaine Zajaz) who will play Francesca’s brother.

For more photos of the filming at Abbey, take a look to the complete Redanian report. There was a strange meeting between Nilfgaardians and elves.

And that’ll be all for November’s recap of Witcher news. It has certainly been a busy month, with pictures of all of the show’s main characters (barring Joey Batey’s bard Jaskier) reaching us from various locations in Northern England. The filming at Fountains Abbey will continue into November. After that, the production will return to Arborfield Studios for a secretive release scheduled for Summer 2021.

Redanian Intelligence's Twitter account is a great place to find the most recent news about The Witcher, and all its spinoffs.