Witcher’s writing team are hard at work … with a new face

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The writers’ room for season two of Netflix’s The Witcher seems to have been assembled and started their work – though we’ve yet to have official confirmation of a renewal.

While the heart of the team from the first season is still in place, evidence points to a few shifts having been made.

For a hint of work on season two being under way, we can thank writer Declan de Barra for an Instagram post captioned “Writers’ room”.

Several members of The Witcher’s writing team liked his post, including showrunner Lauren S Hissrich.

Another name on that list was screenwriter Rae Benjamin, who it seems almost certain that the show has welcomed into its line-up for season two.

The Los Angeles native has come through the ranks of the Hillman Grad Network, established by the talented Lena Waithe, working as a digital content creator and manager there. She’s also the writer’s assistant for the upcoming Bridgerton TV project for Shondaland and Netflix.

Benjamin’s social media confirms that she’s been working in the Netflix offices. As for The Witcher, her follows include writers Declan de Barra, Sneha Koorse and Haily Hall, along with team members Matthew d’Ambrosio and Tera Vale. Taken with everything else, this implies their involvement in the next season.

De Barra posted a picture of himself in the writers’ room with Benjamin, and in one of her own Instagram posts, Vale can be seen in the background. This all points to Benjamin’s involvement in the show and to work being under way on season two’s script.

She also posted a video of the team wishing writer Beau DeMayo a happy birthday. That confirms that he is back, too.

Tera Vale can be seen in the left of a picture posted by Benjamin

Birthday cake isn’t all they’ve been treating themselves to. PA Michael Paisley posted a picture showing six ice creams. As well as himself, if we’re to guess based on Rae’s follows, it’s likely these are for Koorse, de Barra, Vale, d’Ambrosio, Hall and Benjamin.

That would suggest showrunner Lauren S Hissrich was joining them from London, where we know she was for post-production, but it’s very much possible she has joined them by now.

And de Barra will have earned his ice cream. He’s been pulling a little double duty, helping out composer Sonya Belousova with the soundtrack.

A season one team member we aren’t expecting to return is Jenny Klein. Although she wrote episode two of the first season, she has since signed a deal with Amazon to serve as a co-exec producer on original drama Daisy Jones & The Six. That should keep her busy.

Speaking of writers, despite the frenzy for any and all Witcher news last year, an interview with Haily Hall went somewhat under the radar.

In it, she talks about how grateful she is to be working on the show: “This first year on The Witcher’ has been unmatchable. I don’t know how I got so lucky. I pinch myself every day.”

The interview is with the Wittenberg student newspaper, which is where Hall studied with Hissrich.

She explains: “I took a summer screenwriting class with Lauren and her then-fiancé, now-husband, Mike, [which was] taught by [Michael McClelland], and it literally changed my life. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a TV writer.”

Having to dig back to September 2018 for new food shows the dark times we’re in. But, with scripts flowing from the writers’ room once again, casting for season two shouldn’t be too far off. Stay tuned.

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