As Netflix's The Witcher Season 4 loses another star, once again I feel compelled to tap the 'this no-budget YouTube fan film does the Witcher better' sign (2024)

Being candid with you, I checked out of watching Netflix's The Witcher TV show just a few episodes into season three. I'd felt the first season was, despite being notably flawed, an alright first stab at the dark fantasy Wiedźmin world of Andrzej Sapkowski, but after being served up similar fayre in season two and then, in my opinion, even weaker sauce in season three's opening, I lost interest.

And while I was disappointed, sure, I wasn't mad, because as I wrote about at the time a no-budget YouTube The Witcher fan film, watchable in its entirety for free, captures the vibes of The Witcher better than the Netflix show in my opinion anyway. The movie, which is named Alzur's Legacy, revolves around Geralt's fellow witcher Lambert, of Kaer Morhen's School of the Wolf, as well as sorceress Triss Merigold, as they hunt down a renegade sorceress from Aretuza who has stolen the infamous mage Alzur's Almanach.

Yes, Alzur's Legacy is a little rough around the edges and, yes, it is delivered in Polish with subtitles (although that's something that I feel adds to its flavour), but on a fraction of the budget of Netflix's show it somehow still manages to capture the flavour of the books and, yes, even the Witcher games, far better for me. I'd say it's definitely worth a watch if you're a fan, and especially so if you're disappointed to hear the news that it is now not just Henry Cavill who has dropped out of The Witcher Season 4, but also Kim Bodnia, the actor who played Geralt's Witcher mentor, Vesemir.

The news, which was first reported by Redanian Intelligence and then confirmed by Radio Times, means we will now have two new actors in both these lead Witcher roles in season 4. Liam Hemsworth has been confirmed as the actor replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt, but right now we have no word on who is going to replace Kim Bodnia's Vesemir. According to reports, Bodnia dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, while Cavill has reportedly moved on to further projects, including starring in a rumored Warhammer 40K cinematic universe.

In more exciting news for Witcher fans, though, the first new Witcher book in over 10 years is launching shortly in Sapkowski's native Poland, before being slated for an English-language release (as well as other languages) in 2025. The story and setting for this new book remain a mystery right now, however, in an 2018 interview Sapkowski said that it would likely be a "prequel or sidequel" rather than a follow-on to The Lady of the Lake, the final Witcher story in the official canon series' timeline.

If you fancy getting in the mood for this new Witcher book by watching Alzur's Legacy then I've got a tip for you. While you can of course just watch the movie on YouTube, the entire film is actually available to download in much, much better quality. And, what's more, you can download a wide series of subtitle packs for it, too, meaning that no matter the language you want to read, you've got the option available.

Lastly, if you are waiting for the next season of The Witcher on Netflix (no shade thrown, seriously, I'm glad it is working for you), then it looks like you still have a little time to wait yet, as the show is reportedly still filming, with four out of eight episodes now in the can. A 2025 release date is a near-certainty, though, and if the show continues to follow the release schedule it did for season three, then a summer 2025 release date seems likely. Who knows, maybe this changing of the guard for two of the show's lead characters will spark wider changes, too, injecting the show with, in my opinion at least, some fresh impetus.

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