The Rats: The Witcher Spinoff Could be a Special Episode of the Fourth Season!
Rumors have long been circulating that Netflix is working on another Witcher spinoff called The Rats. The name is inspired by the group Ciri meets in The Witcher novels, indicating that the series will delve deeper into their dynamic. While it’s not yet confirmed, the latest spinoff rumors claim two important details: that it all seems confirmed, and that it could end up being a standalone special episode in The Witcher season 4, rather than a prequel series. The project’s alleged real name isn’t far off from what people have been calling it. Redanian Intelligence has reportedly learned that the project will be appropriately called The Rats: A Witcher Tale.
According to a Witcher-focused site, The Rats: A Witcher Tale was reportedly filmed early last year, despite rumors that Netflix was not sold on the project. As such, rumors have been circulating that the spin-off would instead be incorporated into The Witcher season 4 in some way. Additionally, it should also be noted that Mairzee Almas, the director who was supposedly working on this project, has “‘The Rats for Netflix” listed on her LinkedIn page currently with that project labeled as a “Special Episode”. Redanian Intelligence also pointed to another example that came from a comment shared by Sophie Holland in an interview where she talked about a “very special” Season 4 episode featuring characters introduced in Season 3 playing a more central role in the upcoming season.
The Rats: The Plot
The plot of The Rats is not based on any book in The Witcher saga by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski but takes the characters and creates their own story for them before they meet Ciri at the end of the third season of the series. The logline reads: “Six teenage thieves must rely on their criminal skills as they plan the biggest heist of their careers against the most dangerous crime ring in the kingdom”.
Who’s In The Cast of The Rats
The gang of teenage criminals called The Rats consists of Giselher, Mistle, Kayleigh, Iskra, Reef, and Asse. They are played by Ben Radcliffe, Christelle Elwin, Fabian McCallum, Aggy K. Adams, Juliette Alexandra and Connor Crawford, respectively. All of them made their first appearance in The Witcher 3 and will reprise their roles in this spin-off. Additionally, 80s and 90s action movie star Dolph Lundgren has been cast as a ruthless sorcerer from the School of the Cat called Brehen. The Rats also stars Deoudone van der Merwe, Warren Masemola, Stevel Marc, Max Boast, and Daniela Norman.
What is the Netflix Release Date for The Rats?
Netflix hasn’t officially announced the series yet, although a lot of information has already leaked out, nor its release date, but judging from what we know so far, The Rats will be out in early to mid-2024, certainly before The Witcher Season 4.
