Based on the books by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher's live-action series became one of Netflix's most successful original productions. Its first two seasons accumulated millions of views and received mixed ratings, although the spin-off Blood Origin, which serves as a prequel, had worse luck on both fronts. However, these productions represented a multimillion-dollar investment.
TV project budgets are often a mystery, as they rarely go public. However, UK-based production companies must submit financial statements, including staff salaries and more, to obtain a tax credit.
It is thanks to this that there is a lot of public information related to the production of The Witcher series and its prequel. Forbes analyzed this data and, in a report, revealed the approximate costs of each season of the show starring Henry Cavill and the spin-off featuring actress Michelle Yeoh.
NETFLIX SPENT A FORTUNE ON THE WITCHER SERIES
It is important to note that Netflix used subsidiary companies to produce each season of the TV show and the prequel.
According to the information, Hocus Pocus Productions was responsible for producing Season 1. The project cost around $92.1 million, that is, about $11.5 million per episode. On the other hand, Season 2 was produced by the subsidiary Thetford Productions and represented a much higher cost. Specifically, Netflix spent $176.4 million, about $22 million per episode.
Thus, the production of the first two seasons of the series that tells the story of Geralt of Rivia cost $268.4 million.
The next project on the list is The Witcher: Blood Origin, a series produced by Ripper Productions. The provided data only covers up to September 30, 2021, two months before filming ended. According to the report, Netflix spent $50.3 million excluding post-production costs.
According to the information collected by Forbes, the streaming giant invested $318.7 million in the first two seasons of the fantasy show and the prequel that debuted in 2022.
We must remember that Season 3, which will be split into two parts, will debut this summer and will mark a point of no return, as Henry Cavill will leave the role of Geralt of Rivia, and Australian actor Liam Hemsworth will replace him in future seasons. On the other hand, an animated movie is in the works.
But tell us, are you a fan of this TV show? Let us know in the comments.
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