(Credits: Netflix)

The countdown to the fourth season of The Witcher is officially on, and this one feels like the start of a new chapter. For the first time ever, Liam Hemsworth is stepping into Geralt of Rivia’s armour, taking over from Henry Cavill. Fans have been waiting nervously. While some are excited to see a fresh face, others are convinced no one can swing a sword like Cavill.

The first teaser didn’t waste any time. Hemsworth’s Geralt is shown storming into frame, slicing through a wraith in one clean blow. The monster is looking terrifying, and Geralt looks gruffer than ever. After the teaser got out, social media instantly lit up with hot takes. Some called it jarring, and the others admitted they might just be on board. Either way, the curiosity is sky-high.

But there is something that makes season four even more fascinating. It’s the sheer amount of money Netflix has pumped into this series. And mind you, we are not talking a couple of millions here. We are talking about the kind of figure that makes you blink twice before you believe it.

And that’s before we even get into the crazy travel, the sprawling sets, or the monsters that eat up VFX budgets like candy. Netflix has spared no expense to keep The Witcher looking like a fantasy epic instead of just another TV show.

One of Netflix’s most expensive shows ever

So far, Netflix has dropped $568million on The Witcher. That makes it one of the most expensive shows of all time, right up there with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Season two holds the crown as the costliest instalment at almost $179million. It was filmed largely in the UK during lockdown. Season three wasn’t far behind, landing at $172m. Even season four, which hasn’t premiered yet, had already clocked $42m before filming was properly underway. And that is not counting season one or the Blood Origin prequel, which came in cheaper but is still hefty.

Most importantly, the spending shows up on screen. The Continent is not just a bunch of CGI backdrops. It is castles in Slovenia, lakes in Italy, and cliffs in Yorkshire. Kaer Morhen? That was built from scratch. Add hundreds of crew members, massive sets, and VFX-heavy monsters, and the numbers make sense.

And Netflix isn’t worried. The gamble has already paid off. Since its debut in 2019, The Witcher has been streamed for more than 1.2billion hours. Its first season even outperformed The Mandalorian in its opening month. For a video game adaptation that many doubted at first, it became one of Netflix’s biggest global wins.

Now, with season four set to land next month and season five already filming as the final chapter, Netflix clearly believes this is money well spent. Whether Hemsworth wins the fans over or not, one thing is clear: The Witcher has become one of Netflix’s most ambitious and expensive bets to date.