By Netflix’s upcoming hit The Witcher is slated for a release this December, and fans have been craving for another look at the show. Within just a few days, the long wait will be over. Beginning Sunday, October 27 and lasting an entire week, Netflix will kickstart The Witcher‘s marketing campaign during two adjacent events: MCM London Comic Con and Italy’s Lucca Comics and Games. Redanian Intelligence will have agents on the ground to cover and live-tweet both events. With the show’s first full-length trailer, interviews of the cast and crew (and author Andrzej Sapkowski as well), a costume exhibition and much more, The Witcher aims to take the center of attention during the week of Halloween. Below is a preview of exactly what we should expect, and when we can expect it.
Sunday – MCM London Comic Con
The Witcher‘s Halloween festivities will begin this coming Sunday, October 27, with showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich and Ciri star Freya Allan arriving for a panel at 12:00pm BST (5:00am Pacific, 8:00am Eastern) on the MCM Center Stage. During this panel, titled “Introducing The Witcher”, Netflix promises to share “exciting new footage” from the show. It is likely that this footage will be exclusive to the fans attending the panel, and will not be shared online. But worry not – we’ve got you covered.
Redanian Intelligence will have operatives on the ground, and we’ll be live-tweeting developments from the panel on our twitter account. That includes live descriptions of the footage shown in the panel, so make sure to follow us if you haven’t already.
If permitted, our operatives will also try to film the panel so we can upload it to our YouTube channel and share it with you soon after. Other than that, we’ll be publishing a recap of the panel as well as analysis of the footage, and a roundup of any interviews that may be shared during the Con.
Next up, The Witcher will take to Lucca, Italy.
Wednesday – A panel with the author at Lucca Comics and Games
On Wednesday, October 30, the annual Italian pop-culture event Lucca Comics and Games will begin in the town of Lucca, Italy, and The Witcher will be there in a big way. Throughout the event (which lasts until November 3), Lucca will be hosting various Witcher-themed cosplay contests and games as well as what appears to be a Witcher-themed escape room. But more importantly, saga author Andrzej Sapkowski will be there throughout the event.
On Wednesday, 2:00pm Italian time (6:00am Pacific, 9:00 am Eastern, 1:00pm BST), Sapkowski will host an hour-long panel dedicated to the books which inspired the upcoming Netflix series, and he is likely to address the show as well. Our friend and partner from Witcherflix will be there, so make sure to follow his amazing Instagram account and check our website soon after for the panel recap.
Sapkowski will also be available for a Meet & Greet with the fans for the duration of the festivities every afternoon, for anyone looking to meet the author or simply vying for an autograph.
Netflix will bring an exhibition of the show’s costumes to the show floor, which they will “transform” into The Continent (the setting of the series). With our agents on the ground, we hope to publish an article with pictures of the decorations and costumes on the show floor, and the general fan experience from Lucca.
Thursday – The Witcher’s first full-length trailer to premiere during the Lucca panel
On October 31, Netflix will host The Witcher‘s biggest panel for the week, where they are expected to share the show’s first full-length trailer as well as the official release date. Moderated by Gianmaria Tammaro, the panel will be attended by showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich as well as stars Freya Allan (Ciri) and Anya Chalotra (Yennefer of Vengerberg). Also joining the panel is series author Andrzej Sapkowski, who is expected to share his own input on the Netflix adaption.
Beginning 3:00pm Italian time (7:00am Pacific, 10:00am Eastern, 2:00pm BST) this panel is currently scheduled to last two hours and will be split in two parts: in the first hour Lauren and Andrzej will be speaking about the show, and in the second Lauren will be joined by Anya and Freya.
Several Italian news outlets including Lucca Comics and Games themselves have reported that The Witcher’s first trailer will premiere during the panel, and it is possible that other footage will be shown as well. Join us on our Twitter account this Halloween as we live-tweet and update throughout the panel. Naturally, we will share the trailer the moment it’s up on Netflix’s YouTube account.
Following the panel, Redanian Intelligence will publish a recap and also a frame-by-frame analysis of the trailer (which you should expect to see the following day). And, once again, any interviews held during the event will be collected in a roundup as well.
Friday – The Witcher’s key crew talk about bringing the show to life
The day after The Witcher‘s biggest panel, Netflix will be hosting another one – this time featuring three key members of the show’s crew. Leading them is executive producer Tomek Baginski, who was the first to pitch The Witcher to Netflix in 2015 (as a feature film). Joining him are costume designer Tim Aslam and production designer Andrew Laws.
Beginning 2:00pm local time (6:00am Pacific, 9:00am Eastern, 1:00pm BST), this panel will explore another facet of The Witcher‘s production. Rather than discussing the story and the characters, the panelists will discuss the filming and creative process happening behind the scenes which eventually brought the show to life. This panel will also be live-tweeted on our Twitter account, and its highlights will be recapped in an article soon after.
The Witcher festivities at Lucca are set to last throughout the event, which ends November 3, and there may yet be more surprises in store (perhaps in the form of star Henry Cavill). With only a few days left to go, we’re getting quite excited. Share your thoughts and expectations from Halloween Week below!
