Picture Credit: Netflix
The Rats: A Witcher Tale is real, and it’s now streaming on Netflix. Originally envisioned as a stand-alone limited series, the special has been released quietly alongside the fourth season of the show.
The news doesn’t come as a huge surprise. As we covered back in September, the series had been rejigged as a movie and was then targeting a release alongside season 4. What we didn’t expect, however, was how stealthily the special/movie would be added to the streaming service. Beyond a couple of mentions in Netflix Nigeria and Indonesia’s monthly roundups, there’s been very little promotion.
The synopsis for the movie reads, “To pull off a daring heist, a gang of six misfit outlaws will have to do something they’ve never done before: trust each other — and a washed-up Witcher.”
Originally shot as a standalone mini-series like The Witcher: Blood Origin, it now functions as a narrative bridge into The Witcher Season 4. However, as we’ve already extensively covered, production didn’t entirely go to plan, and the end result is a shortened movie/special that’s been quietly dropped alongside season 4.
When should you watch The Rats? Well, according to a notice on the show’s page, you should “Enjoy” after The Witcher season 4, which is odd given that it takes place before the events.
The Rats: A Witcher Tale is directed by Mairzee Almas and features a cast that includes Christelle Elwin, Ben Radcliffe, Fabian McCallum, Aggy K. Adams, Connor Crawford, Juliette Alexandra, Dolph Lundgren, Ben Robson, Sharlto Copley, and Freya Allan.
Haily Hall and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich wrote the special, which is rated TV-MA for language and violence. It runs for 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Screen capture: Netflix
Screen capture: Netflix
Screen capture: Netflix
Screen capture: Netflix
Screen capture: Netflix
Screen capture: Netflix
Screen capture: Netflix
Our review went up for season 4 of The Witcher this morning – we called it a solid enough refresh with Liam Hemsworth taking over the reins from Henry Cavill, but despite some solid action sequences and moments, the series does little to win over any disillusioned fans. Beyond season 4, we’ve only got season 5 to look forward to, which will likely bring the Witcherverse to a conclusion on Netflix, given that it’s the final season.
Did you watch The Rats: A Witcher Tale on Netflix? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.
