Netflix Halts Production on ‘The Witcher’ Amid Coronavirus Fears

Netflix has paused production in the U.K. of its fantasy drama “The Witcher” for two weeks as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Variety has confirmed.

“The Witcher” is the first major scripted series to be halted in the U.K. because of coronavirus. Produced in-house by Netflix, “The Witcher” is shot at Arborfield Studios to the west of London.

Production crew were told in an email last night about the decision to pause production, and also told that they will continue to be paid by Netflix during the two-week stoppage.

A source close to “The Witcher” production shared the email sent to staff, which said: “The coronavirus has raised challenging issues for everyone working on set on productions for Netflix. We are very grateful for all the work everyone has done to keep cast and crew safe during this pandemic.

“Cast and crew health is our primary concern. We are dealing with an unprecedented global pandemic that is beyond our control, and in many instances with mandates or restrictions imposed by governments (including travel restrictions in many countries).

“As such, we have made the decision, effective immediately, to pause production for two weeks during this difficult time, and we will support our production partners working on Netflix UK scripted series in doing the same. This will allow everyone the time to make informed decisions about how to move forward.”

There are currently no Netflix feature films in production in the U.K., and fewer than five scripted series.

The news was first reported by Deadline.

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