Netflix’s fantasy epic “The Witcher” may have swapped out its leading man for the role of Geralt of Rivia, but in doing so it’s costing them more than it used to.
Long-running “Witcher” fan site Redanian Intelligence reports that the upcoming fourth season of the series, the first to star Liam Hemsworth in the role of Geralt, has come in at a whopping cost of $221 million for episodes.
That’s the most expensive season of the show to date, working out to roughly $27.6 million per episode. To put that in comparison:
Season 1 – $92.1 million total/$11.5 million per episode
Season 2 – $176.3 million total/$22 million per episode
Season 3 – $175 million total/$21.8 million per episode
Blood Origin – $51.5 million total/$12.8 million per episode
The site also says the troubled spin-off “The Rats: A Witcher’s Tale,” which paused production after footage started coming in, has already racked up a $20 million bill. That project is reportedly being recut into a standalone TV movie.
At $27 million per episode, it’s one of the most expensive series ever made – behind only Amazon’s “Rings of Power” (58m) and “Citadel” (50m), Disney’s “Secret Invasion” (35m), Netflix’s “Stranger Things” S4 (30m) and Disney’s “The Acolyte” (29m).
Overall, the budget of the franchise on Netflix thus far clocks in at over $720 million, and that’s not counting the two anime features or the shorter fifth and final season of the series that began filming in March. The site estimates that with those included, the service’s total spend on the franchise once it’s over could come in at over $900 million.
The fourth season of “The Witcher” is slated to be released in full on Netflix on October 30th.
