The ever-evolving coronavirus crisis unfolding around the globe is guaranteed to result in a major increase in binge-watching, but make no mistake, it’s also going to cause its share headaches for Netflix and other streaming services. Case in point, production of the second season of Netflix’s The Witcher series has reportedly been halted for at least two weeks due coronavirus concerns.

　　The Witcher is filmed at Arborfield Studios, which is approximately 40 miles West of London. The Witcher is the first major filmed-in-the-UK show to be postponed due to COVID-19. Variety managed to get their hands on the following email, which was sent to The Witcher’s cast and crew…

　　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.

　　Obviously, this isn’t the last TV production that’s going to be delayed due to the outbreak. It’s time to get used to the fact that pretty much all forms of entertainment -- TV, movies, video games, etc. – aren’t going to be arriving when they were originally supposed to. Time for everyone to start digging into their entertainment backlogs.

　　The Witcher Season 2 was originally supposed to hit Netflix in early 2021 – we’ll see if the series will be able to stick to that timeline.