With The Witcher, Netflix set out to deliver a fantasy series that could rival Game of Thrones. Ultimately, while the show found a loyal fan base, it failed to reach the same level of mainstream success and popularity as the HBO series.
According to Redanian Intelligence (via SFFGazette.com), The Witcher season 4 will be the most expensive yet, costing $221 million (that's roughly $27 million per episode).
Here's a full breakdown of how much each season of the Netflix series reportedly cost the streamer to produce:
- The Witcher season 1 - $92.1 million, $11.5 million per episode
- The Witcher season 2 - $176.3 million, $22 million per episode
- The Witcher: Blood Origin - $51.5 million, $12.8 million per episode
- The Witcher season 3 - $175 million, $21.8 million per episode
The site has also learned that troubled spin-off, The Rats, has so far racked up a bill of $20 million. The plan had been for that to be released as a series, but production was paused early on when Netflix saw scenes from the show. Now, it's set to be released as a standalone TV special (which may or may not be feature-length).
Crunching the numbers, Netflix has spent well over $720 million on The Witcher since it launched in 2019, but was ot worth it? On the surface, at least, it appears to be an investment which hasn't paid off for the streamer. The Witcher: Blood Origin bombed, and the main series will end with season 5.
The Witcher has even lost its leading man, with Justice League star Henry Cavill handing over Geralt of Rivia's sword to The Hunger Games' Liam Hemsworth.
That $720 million figure doesn't include anime spin-offs, Nightmare of the Wolf and Sirens of the Deep, or the final season. Taking those into account, The Witcher could be considered a failed $1 billion franchise for Netflix.
It's also been revealed that The Rats: A Witcher Tale is now scheduled to be released alongside The Witcher season 4 on October 30.
After the Continent-altering events of season 3, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri find themselves separated by a raging war and countless enemies. As their paths diverge and their goals sharpen, they stumble on unexpected allies eager to join their journeys. And if they can accept these found families, they just might have a chance at reuniting for good.
The Witcher season 4 cast includes Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, Freya Allan as Princess Cirilla of Cintra, Joey Batey as Jaskier, Laurence Fishburne as Regis, Meng’er Zhang as Milva, Sharlto Copley as Leo Bonhart, and James Purefoy as Skellen.