In January 2020, following the widespread acclaim for Season 1 of The Witcher, Netflix announced an anime tie-in titled The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf to be released, as speculated, before the premiere of Season 2. The film wasn't produced only to build upon the success of the live-action series; it's an expansion of the world that Andrzej Sapkowski created, and that the streaming service is attempting to build. It's more than simply a cool look at new witchers, it will undoubtedly enhance the impact of the School of the Wolf's introduction in the Netflix series.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf centers on Vesemir, from his boyhood to his time as a brash young witcher. It introduces his mentor, Deglan, and Kaer Morhen like fans of the franchise have never seen it before -- at its height, filled to its parapets with monster hunters, mages and trainees. This is an era of the Continent that neither Sapkowski nor the CD Projekt Red's video games have explored. All that can be gathered is that somewhere between Vesemir's time and Geralt of Rivia's time, Kaer Morhen fell under siege by the angry and distrustful people of Kaedwen.
During the siege, the vast majority of Kaer Morhen's witchers and mages were slaughtered, leaving the School of the Wolf with less than a handful of monster hunters and without the knowledge to produce new ones. Vesemir is the only known survivor, but as he was a fencing instructor, he does possess the crucial knowledge to recreate the Trial of the Grasses -- which is what gives a witcher their enhanced strength, reflexes and senses.
It was that massacre that led to the ruined state of Kaer Morhen when readers are introduced to it in Blood of Elves or in CD Projekt Red's games. The newly released trailer for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf appears to be teasing such an event. Deglan ominously says, "The only thing keeping men from hunting us are the scarier beasts we keep away." This line is accompanied by an image of an angry mob, complete with clubs and torches. A clip of Vesemir commanding a small force of witchers ends the trailer. Whatever theses witchers are defending Kaer Morhen against, it must be powerful.
But what does any of this have to do with Season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher? The events of the series take place more than a hundred years after that turning point in Kaer Morhen's history. While that is true, the legacy of that event is still clearly visible in the upcoming Netflix series. Vesemir, played by Kim Bodnia, will no longer just be a new character. Audiences will be able to watch Nightmare of the Wolf and see what he has been through. The mentor role he plays in both Geralt and Ciri's life -- as well as the other witchers in Kaer Morhen -- will be that much more impactful when viewers have seen where he and his understanding of the witcher's life comes from.
But this isn't only about Vesemir. Nightmare of the Wolf will breathe life into Kaer Morhen in the live-action series as well. Memorable set pieces in the anime tie-in will return in the live-action series and will be imbued with that much more meaning. Early photos from the set of Season 2 revealed a gallery of sorts, containing ancient witcher artifacts, such as the tree adorned with the wolf medallions of fallen witchers, the collection of swords and more.
Netflix's anime tie-in is an important addition to the streaming giant's adaptation of the Continent and its witchers. It not only allows this adaptation to stand out, since this is the only exploration of Vesemir's past fans have seen in The Witcher media, but it adds important background and context for what audiences will see when The Witcher Season 2 premieres.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf will be released on Netflix on Aug. 23, followed by The Witcher Season 2 on Dec. 17.