By Netflix have recently settled in the ruins of Fountains Abbey to film the next season of The Witcher, with star Anya Chalotra seen on location as Yennefer. A few days ago, local photographer Peter Lau shared pictures of the cast prepping for nightshoots at the Abbey, and now he has graciously provided us with his full gallery of pictures. Thanks Peter! These exciting images hint at a massive gathering of mages and political figures. Check out our highlights and the full gallery at the bottom of the article.
Anya Chalotra’s Yennefer and an unidentified sorceress
Chalotra can be seen in a series of pictures beside an as of yet unidentified actress who appears to portray another sorceress (she is among a group of actors who are mages exclusively). The actress was previously believed to be Aisha Fabienne Ross who portrays Lydia, although that does not seem to be the case now that we have this picture. We can only hope that the actress portrays one of the hotly anticpated sorceresses who haven’t been announced for season two yet, such as Philippa Eilhart or Margarita Laux-Antille. That being said, we haven’t heard anything about either of these characters to date.
Terence Maynard’s Artorius Vigo and Mahesh Jadu’s Vilgefortz of Roggeveen
Artorius Vigo, the uncle of Nilfgaardian sorceress Fringilla, has had an expanded role in the show’s adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, serving as a leading council member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. It seems that he will continue to be important in future seasons. Perhaps his connection with Fringilla will make a peace agreement with Nilfgaard easier?
MyAnna Buring’s Tissaia and Therica Wilson-Read’s Sabrina
One of the most universally loved performances of season one was that of MyAnna Buring, who portrays Yennefer’s mentor Tissaia. Buring is seen in the above picture alongside Therica Wilson Read who plays Sabrina. The two were last seen fighting in the Battle of Sodden, and it’s good to see they managed to come out unscathed.
High Consular Zina Wheater and other political delegates
This group wears different outfits from the other extras at Fountains Abbey, and the central figure appears to be Zina Wheater who portrays a High Consular in the show. With Shaun Dooley’s King Foltest also filming for this sequence, it’s likely that delegates from many of the Northern Kingdoms were invited to the gathering.
Lars Mikkelsen’s Stregobor and Mahesh Jadu’s Vilgefortz
Lars Mikkelsen’s Stregobor left a lasting impression with his performance in The Witcher‘s first episode: we simply love to hate his character. In the novels, Stregobor does not reappear after his confrontation with Geralt in Blaviken, but he has a much bigger role in the show. What are these two plotting?
A magical group pic
In this picture, we can see most of the show’s mages together. Left to right: MyAnna Buring (Tissaia), Therica Wilson-Read (Sabrina), Mahesh Jadu (Vilgefortz), Lars Mikkelsen (Stregobor), an unknown actress and, last but not least, Anya Chalotra (Yennefer).
The crew preparing for filming
Filming a show as big as The Witcher requires many, many crew members from various departments. Filming at the Abbey was primarily comprised of night shoots and, with the current weather, it must have been quite a challenge. Good to see everyone wearing a mask!
Full Gallery, via Peter Lau
Well, that was quite enjoyable! Unfortunately, tonight marks the last night of location shoots for the foreseeable future, so leaks of this magnitude won’t happen again any time soon. That being said, we’re still expecting some major casting news: Dijkstra, Nenneke, and Rience to name but a few. Stay tuned!
