“The Witcher” returns for its fourth season, and the series dives deeper into chaos, consequence, and the fragile threads that bind a found family torn apart by war. Patrick Beatty sat down with showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich, along with cast members Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, Lliam Hemsworth, Joey Batey, and the legendary Laurence Fishburne, to talk about legacy, loyalty, and what happens off-screen that helps these performers feel the found familial bonds.
Patrick B: You’ve been balancing book purists. game purists, newcomers, all while bringing in your own creative flair. How do you balance that and stay authentic while also making those bold creative choices?
Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich: That’s a good question. I think that bouncing is the right word. There are places where we know to stick to our guns, we set out with a vision for the series, that we wanted to tell about this family that found each other only to be torn apart, and, fingers crossed, make their way back to each other. But I also think that you start the process just being the sole person, and now our cast is in the hundreds. We carry a crew, sometimes up to 800 people. We have wildly talented directors every season. There are a lot of voices, and I think one of the best things that I’ve learned, that we all had to learn to listen a lot and take in a bunch of opinions.
If Hissrich builds the world, Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra give it heart. As Ciri and Yennefer walk separate paths this season, their bond is tested by distance, duty, and self-discovery. Both actresses reflect on identity, power, and maybe, who’d win in a magical body-swap gone wrong.
Patrick B: You two represent a very strong found family bond in this. And, it’s really so palpable. How does that relationship evolve now that we’re going into, like, war forces and separation like that?
Freya Allan: Yeah, I think for Ciri so much of her journey is about trying to figure out what she is without Geralt and Yennefer. When she sheds all expectations that the world has had of her, and she’s able to do that in this group of rats, because they don’t know who she is, and she takes on a different name. And so for a moment, she’s kind of free in some ways. It’s interesting for her to be able to explore what she wants to become. She’s quite angry at the world for, you know what, she’s had to experience as a child, and how much she’s had on her shoulders. And I think part of it’s running from that, but also realizing that she can’t do that forever in order to find who she is.
There’s definitely a part of her that feels like if Geralt and Yennefer are still out there, they’re better off without her as well, which I think is also an interesting thing for her. She’s always feeling like she’s a problem, and I think that’s something she always carries with her. That’s a constant battle.
Patrick B: If Ciri and Yennefer swapped powers for a day, who do you think would handle the other’s powers better and why?
Anya Chalotra: I feel like I would do a lot of damage.
Freya Allan: You would 100% hurt Ciri. Have you seen her? She’s just, I love her, I love her, and you know, you know.
Anya Chalotra: No, for your age, Ciri, you make far better choices.
Freya Allan: That’s true, like you were 100 and something.
Anya Chalotra: If we were to swap now, it would be me. I would be better. At that age, I mean, like, that’s not the question, but Ciri wins. Like her choice is considered.
Freya Allan: Ciri is what, 16? And Yennefer is 100 or something. Ciri’s got so much doubt, unfortunately. Understandably, makes sense. Bless her.
Of course, no journey on the Continent is complete without a few good pub stories. Enter Lliam Hemsworth, stepping into Geralt’s armor with grit and humility, alongside Joey Batey’s Jaskier and Laurence Fishburne’s wise, enigmatic Regis. Between laughs, long nights, and the occasional tankard or two, the trio shares how off-screen camaraderie bleeds into on-screen chemistry.
Patrick B. I know that with these types of sets, it’s a huge production. You guys probably have a lot of time together off-set. What do you think made the group work? Do you guys have any group chats or things like that?
Joey Batey: Pub trips? Yeah.
Lliam Hemsworth: Drinking?
Laurence Fishburne: We bonded over sleep deprivation.
Joey Batey: Sleep deprivation, and finding those weird corners in pubs where no one would recognize you two, and going, “Are you okay? You’re okay? I’m okay. Yeah, okay.” But we worked really, really hard building this family that we have in this show, and it takes everyone in this show to do that. Like, Danny Woodburn, the national treasure that he is, can single-handedly keep the morale in the air. We all just kind of leaned on each other constantly.
Lliam Hemsworth: You know, sometimes it was me who was tired. Some days it was you who was tired. I mean, other days it was me who was tired again. Danny was never tired,
Laurence Fishburne: And he would never let on that he was tired.
Lliam Hemsworth: He was so good at, like, if you were having a bad day, he would immediately snap you out of it.
Patrick B: If you were at a pub, but as your character, in a fantastical world, who’s the better wingman for each person?
Joey Batey: Oh, great question.
Laurence Fishburne: Great question. Yeah. Regis is a great wingman for both of these guys, but for Geralt, probably more so.
Joey Batey: I don’t think he needs a wingman.
Laurence Fishburne: He’s his own wingman.
Patrick B: He needs to at least have a few things up his sleeve or a few lines to be able to throw away.
Laurence Fishburne: There’s always something up his sleeve. Trust me,
Joey Batey: I don’t even know what that means.
Lliam Hemsworth: Trust me. I know.
Season 4 of The Witcher brings new faces, familiar hearts, and a storm of destiny that refuses to fade. Stream now, only on Netflix. For more information, visit www.netflix.com/thewitcher
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