The Witcher Showrunner Teases Season 2

The first season of The Witcher debuted last month on Netflix, and by virtually all measures, it's a smash hit. While its critical reception could have been better, it's streaming numbers were reportedly very good, and hardcore fans of the Polish series seem very pleased with what showrunner Lauren Hissrich and co. have accomplished with the debut season. That said, being that it's only eight episodes deep, many have already binged their way through the whole season. As a result, many are wondering when Season 2 will drop. Well, according to Netflix, it's currently in pre-production and won't be releasing this year. However, shooting is set to begin this spring, and as you would guess, Hissrich and her writing team have a good idea where they want to take the series.

As you may know, the second season of a show is almost always better than the first season. According to the aforementioned Hissrich, the team has learned a lot. For example, Hissrich herself has learned the show's rhythm. Further, she also learned a lot of creative lessons, which is to be expected, after all, this is Hissrich's first job as a showrunner. And as she points out, this was a big project to try and cut her teeth on.

"With any job, there is the experience of writing it, and then we shoot it," said Hissrich when asked by Collider what lessons she learned from season one. "Sometimes when you're shooting something, you'll be like, 'Oh, wow, I am way too clever when I write. I'm trying to do little jokes, and I just need to let the words be themselves and stop trying to be so clever.' Then, you get into post-production and you're like, 'Wow, okay, not only am I trying to be too clever, but I'm also trying to be way too long-winded.' You learn by doing and you learn from the rhythm of your own show. That's the important thing, every show has its own rhythm. Every show has its own internal ecosystem, of what works and what doesn't work. We took a lot of lessons out of Season 1. For me, personally, I took a lot of creative lessons. This was my first time doing this job, as a showrunner, and it was daunting. This is a really big show to cut my teeth on. But what I brought into it was a certain amount of, 'Okay, I'm here, let's get this done.' So, I personally feel like I've learned a lot and, creatively, I feel like I have a better understanding of what worked and what didn't work, from the script."

Hissrich continued, pointing out that a lot of the hard work of making the show -- finding shooting locations, building sets, etc. -- is already complete, which will go a long way.

"We also have a better idea of what's working on set. Scheduling is a lot easier. We're returning to similar locations, and we have some sets already built and costumes design. It feels more like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers, as opposed to a new pair of shoes. There's something about returning to the family that we're all really excited to do."

The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix. For more news, media, information, rumors, and our review of the show, click here.