As Netflix's The Witcher Season 4 loses another star, once again I feel compelled to tap the 'this no-budget YouTube fan film does the Witcher better' sign

Alzur's Legacy The Witcher fan film
(Image credit: Alzur's Legacy)

Being candid with you, I checked out of watching Netflix's The Witcher TV show just a few episodes into season three. I'd felt the first season was, despite being notably flawed, an alright first stab at the dark fantasy Wiedźmin world of Andrzej Sapkowski, but after being served up similar fayre in season two and then, in my opinion, even weaker sauce in season three's opening, I lost interest.

And while I was disappointed, sure, I wasn't mad, because as I wrote about at the time a no-budget YouTube The Witcher fan film, watchable in its entirety for free, captures the vibes of The Witcher better than the Netflix show in my opinion anyway. The movie, which is named Alzur's Legacy, revolves around Geralt's fellow witcher Lambert, of Kaer Morhen's School of the Wolf, as well as sorceress Triss Merigold, as they hunt down a renegade sorceress from Aretuza who has stolen the infamous mage Alzur's Almanach.

Alzur's Legacy The Witcher fan film

Witcher Lambert tracking with Triss Merigold. (Image credit: Alzur's Legacy)

Yes, Alzur's Legacy is a little rough around the edges and, yes, it is delivered in Polish with subtitles (although that's something that I feel adds to its flavour), but on a fraction of the budget of Netflix's show it somehow still manages to capture the flavour of the books and, yes, even the Witcher games, far better for me. I'd say it's definitely worth a watch if you're a fan, and especially so if you're disappointed to hear the news that it is now not just Henry Cavill who has dropped out of The Witcher Season 4, but also Kim Bodnia, the actor who played Geralt's Witcher mentor, Vesemir.

Alzur's Legacy The Witcher fan film

Alzur's Legacy gets the School of the Wolf medallion right, too. (Image credit: Alzur's Legacy)

The news, which was first reported by Redanian Intelligence and then confirmed by Radio Times, means we will now have two new actors in both these lead Witcher roles in season 4. Liam Hemsworth has been confirmed as the actor replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt, but right now we have no word on who is going to replace Kim Bodnia's Vesemir. According to reports, Bodnia dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, while Cavill has reportedly moved on to further projects, including starring in a rumored Warhammer 40K cinematic universe.

Alzur's Legacy The Witcher fan film

Alzur's Legacy is well worth a watch if you're a fan of Sapkowski's Witcher world. (Image credit: Alzur's Legacy)

In more exciting news for Witcher fans, though, the first new Witcher book in over 10 years is launching shortly in Sapkowski's native Poland, before being slated for an English-language release (as well as other languages) in 2025. The story and setting for this new book remain a mystery right now, however, in an 2018 interview Sapkowski said that it would likely be a "prequel or sidequel" rather than a follow-on to The Lady of the Lake, the final Witcher story in the official canon series' timeline.

If you fancy getting in the mood for this new Witcher book by watching Alzur's Legacy then I've got a tip for you. While you can of course just watch the movie on YouTube, the entire film is actually available to download in much, much better quality. And, what's more, you can download a wide series of subtitle packs for it, too, meaning that no matter the language you want to read, you've got the option available.

First official image of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher on Netflix

Liam Hemsworth is taking over the role of Geralt in The Witcher Season 4. (Image credit: Netflix)

Lastly, if you are waiting for the next season of The Witcher on Netflix (no shade thrown, seriously, I'm glad it is working for you), then it looks like you still have a little time to wait yet, as the show is reportedly still filming, with four out of eight episodes now in the can. A 2025 release date is a near-certainty, though, and if the show continues to follow the release schedule it did for season three, then a summer 2025 release date seems likely. Who knows, maybe this changing of the guard for two of the show's lead characters will spark wider changes, too, injecting the show with, in my opinion at least, some fresh impetus.

Print Editor

Rob is editor of PC Gamer magazine and has been PC gaming since the early 1990s, an experience that has left him with a life-long passion for first person shooters, isometric RPGs and point and click adventures. Professionally Rob has written about games, gaming hardware and consumer technology for almost twenty years, and before joining the PC Gamer team was deputy editor of T3.com, where he oversaw the website's gaming and tech content as well its news and ecommerce teams. You can also find Rob's words in a series of other gaming magazines and books such as Future Publishing's own Retro Gamer magazine and numerous titles from Bitmap Books. In addition, he is the author of Super Red Green Blue, a semi-autobiographical novel about games and gaming culture. Recreationally, Rob loves motorbikes, skiing and snowboarding, as well as team sports such as football and cricket.

Read more
The Witcher - Liam Hemsworth first look as Geralt of Rivia wears a white wig with yellow eyes.
The Witcher season 4: Everything we know about Hemsworth's debut on The Continent
Roderick de Wett Gwent card art detail
The Witcher show finally adds a character exclusive to the games, too bad he's 'exceptionally loathsome and arrogant'
Witcher 3's Geralt having a think
The Witcher 3's now 2-year-old bonus quest is our first taste of the 'vibe' CD Projekt is going for in The Witcher 4
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep review
Geralt of Rivia stands in front of a portal
The Witcher books reading order: where to start with the short stories and novels
Geralt mid fight
The real Geralt comes back for a new Netflix animated film to slay monsters and give brooding speeches about humanity's failings
Latest in The Witcher
Tub Geralt, just chilling in his tub.
The new Witcher novel is a prequel called Crossroads of Ravens where Geralt is 18 years old, and it'll be available in English in September
The Witcher 3
Geralt will definitely appear in The Witcher 4, Doug Cockle confirms (again): 'I can't wait to see what they do'
bathtub geralt
I regret to inform you that The Witcher 3 is a decade old this year, but you can forget about unceasing mortality for a few hours at the anniversary concerts
Geralt thumbs up
Witcher author reveals that Geralt is 61 years old in The Witcher 3, with even weirder ramifications for Henry Cavill's Netflix performance
A still from the cinematic reveal trailer of The Witcher 4, showing unt Witcher
CD Projekt had to nerf Ciri for The Witcher 4 after she fully unlocked her spacetime teleportation powers in the previous game: 'Something totally happened in-between'
Geralt, ungloved, giving a thumbs up in high definition
CD Projekt knows why we're all really here: Gwent is coming back in The Witcher 4, and the devs 'don't think anyone will be disappointed'
Latest in News
Aloy - Horizon
'I feel worried about this art form:' Unsurprisingly, the real Aloy from Horizon isn't a fan of AI Aloy
Crying laughing emoji with disturbing realistic elements for REPO
REPO's first update will add a new map and a 'duck bucket' so we can finally give that pesky quacker a time out
Man facing camera
The Day Before studio reportedly sues Russian website for calling infamous disaster-game a 'scam'
Will Poulter holding a CD ROM
'What are most games about? Killing': Black Mirror Season 7 includes a follow-up to 2018 interactive film Bandersnatch
Casper Van Dien in Starship Troopers
Sony, which is making a Helldivers 2 movie, is also making a new Starship Troopers movie, but it's not based on the Starship Troopers movie we already have
Assassin's Creed meets PUBG
Ubisoft is reportedly talking to Tencent about creating a new business entity to manage Assassin's Creed and other big games