Latest Fantasy News: ‘The Witcher’ faces down the beginning of the end as fans shift focus to ‘Chronicles of Narnia’

Season three of The Witcher should be the only thing on fantasy fans’ minds at the moment, but the Netflix series simply isn’t pulling in the attention it once did.

It’s not necessarily due to a drop in quality — though there’s certainly an argument to be made for the show’s deviations from the original story — but fans simply aren’t showing up for season three. The culprit is almost certainly Henry Cavill’s impending departure, news of which urged viewers to promise a boycott, and Netflix is seeing those threats play out in real-time.

As such, other fantasy favorites are pulling attention from what should be the genre’s major player. People are abuzz about the Chronicles of Narnia remake, celebrating the fresh attempt by re-binging the old releases and joking about the trauma inherent in so many recollections of C.S. Lewis’ works. Even The Little Mermaid is getting more attention than The Witcher, as people prep themselves for the film’s official streaming release and do everything they can to punish Netflix for its poor decision-making.

Netflix users stick to their guns and brazenly ignore The Witcher season three

It’s been a week since season three of The Witcher dropped on Netflix, and those seven days appear to be reinforcing viewer claims. Following news of Henry Cavill’s departure as series lead Geralt of Rivia, fans were furious and promptly promised to boycott the show. Those promises are now paying off, as the season experiences a shockingly low viewership for its recently released first part. Fans will likely show up to watch the season eventually — just not until Netflix gets the message. 

Even as Henry Cavill pulls in praise for his ‘faultless’ performance

There are plenty of issues with Netflix’s interpretation of The Witcher story, but most people were willing to look past them thanks to the show’s thrilling fight scenes and Henry Cavill’s grasp of the character of Geralt. With Cavill’s loss, the show is set to lack one of its most vital elements, and fans are absolutely not okay with it. They’re pushing back in the only way they know how — through boycotts and petitions — but that’s not stopping Cavill from absolutely crushing the role. He’s only here for one season more, but Cavill showed up to dazzle, and he’s already earning praise for his “faultless” performance as Geralt. 

Now if only Netflix would keep him around, rather than shift gears to a new actor. Liam Hemsworth sure has some big shoes to fill.

The new Little Mermaid is already swimming toward a streaming release

Opinions are split on Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, but the flick is proving to be far more popular than early takeaways might suggest. Fans are already lining up to witness the film for a second, third, or fourth time, prompting high demand for its streaming release. Despite its relatively recent theatrical run, The Little Mermaid is already eyeing its Disney Plus debut, which is likely right around the corner. Disney’s tight-lipped approach is only ramping up interest, as viewers look ahead to a likely late August Disney Plus arrival. 

Despite all that religious trauma, people are lining up to witness Greta Gerwig’s take on Chronicles of Narnia

For many, The Chronicles of Narnia is inextricably linked to religious trauma. C.S. Lewis wove religion deep into his fantasy franchise, and — despite modern adaptations leeching some of the symbolism out — that trauma extends to Hollywood’s attempts to bring the story to the big screen. 

In spite of it all, fans — even those touting years of Narnia trauma — are awaiting Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the story with bated breath. Following a slew of popular releases, the most recent of which being Barbie, viewers have faith in Gerwig, and they want to see her take on the classic tale.

Even as news of a remake prompts a return to the original Chronicles of Narnia films

All that trauma likewise isn’t enough to stop viewers who grew up on that first slate of Narnia films from returning for a rewatch. The mid-2000s releases weren’t great, and viewership massively fell off as the series continued, but there’s still plenty to love in the nostalgic films — not the least of which being James McAvoy’s brilliant take on Mr. Tumnus. If you’re looking to join in and enjoy a rewatch, here’s how to watch the 2000s Narnia films in order.