More photos from the set of The Witcher season 4 have found their way online and they offer up a first look at Freya Allan's return as Ciri along with her new companions, The Rats.
As Redanian Intelligence explains, this is almost certainly an adaptation of a scene from the books which sees The Rats ambush a baron's carriage in Nilfgaard. It appears Ciri cuts the throat of the baron's daughter, suggesting she's heading down a darker route in these episodes.
However, this is likely in response to the fact the woman's father is among those who hire Leo Bonhart to hunt Ciri down.
The Rats have also been spotted: Ben Radcliffe's Giselher, Christelle Elwin's Mistle, Aggy K. Adams' Iskra, Fabian McCallum's Kayleigh, Juliette Alexandra's Reef, and Connor Crawford's Asse. Once upon a time, they and Ciri were going to take centre stage in a spin-off; those plans were scrapped after The Witcher: Blood Origin flopped.
"The Witcher definitely set up a lot for me, just in terms of being my drama school and providing me with a certain level of confidence," Allan recently said when she was asked about The Witcher ending with season 5. "You also learn so many random skills. I’ve already done a lot of stunt work, I know how to ride horses."
"I was so kind of finished with it mentally. Initially the challenge was thinking that I had to do two more. It's going to be the end of a massive chapter, which I'm excited for and ready for. But I think when I actually get to it, I'm going to be shocked at how much that hits me."
As for how she feels about Liam Hemsworth picking up where Cavill left off, Allan added, "He's so sweet and just such a normal guy and so willing to connect. And I feel bad for him because he's had so much weight and pressure on his shoulders, joining a new cast as one of the leads and replacing someone else who's already done three seasons."
"It's a lot. It's been important for the rest of us to really make him feel that he's a part of the family."
After the shocking, Continent-altering events that close out Season 3, the new season follows Geralt (Liam Hemsworth), Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and Ciri (Freya Allan), who are separated and traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons. If they can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire - and finding one another again.
The Witcher season 4 and season 5 don't currently have confirmed premiere dates. Follow the link in the X post below for the full gallery of set photos (via SFFGazette.com).