Netflix Quietly Releases New ‘Witcher’ Film Starring Dolph Lundgren – and Barely Tells Anyone
A new live-action installment in The witcher universe has arrived on Netflix, but a curious lack of promotion has left many fans – and industry observers – in the dark. The Rats: A Witcher Tale, a feature-length special serving as a prequel to Season 4, debuted on the streaming platform in October, yet received minimal publicity, raising questions about Netflix’s strategy for the popular franchise.
One entertainment journalist, who closely monitors videogame-related adaptations, expressed surprise at the lack of visibility. “So how the heck did I miss that there was a whole new live action Witcher movie… Starring Dolph Lundgren? And it came out in October of this year,” they wrote,noting that the oversight wasn’t isolated. “It wasn’t just me: a bunch of us at PC Gamer, movie fans and Witcher fans alike, missed it too.”
The evidence supporting a intentional downplaying of the film’s release is striking. According to reports, Netflix did not send out promotional emails to media contacts, and the film is conspicuously absent from the company’s press site. Even more unusual, a search of the official Netflix YouTube channel – boasting 32 million subscribers – yields no trailer or teaser for the 1 hour and 22 minute movie.
“That strikes me as especially bizarre,” the journalist observed. “You produce and film and edit an entire live-action Witcher movie and don’t even throw together a single 30-second teaser?”
While acknowledging that Dolph Lundgren may not possess the same star power as previous Witcher lead Henry Cavill, the journalist argued that he is at least comparable to Liam Hemsworth in terms of audience recognition. “If you advertised Lundgren as a Witcher, you’d at the very least get some curious eyes on it,” they stated. “And even if it stinks, surely you want people to watch it? Isn’t Netflix pretty brazenly keen on total views above all other concerns?”
The limited promotional efforts appear to have impacted public awareness. As of this writing,The Rats: A Witcher Tale has only one critic review on Rotten Tomatoes – a positive one – but over 100 audience reviews averaging a dismal 17%.
The lack of media coverage is equally telling. The journalist found no mention of the film on major entertainment news outlets like Variety,Deadline,or The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite the apparent lack of fanfare, The Rats: A Witcher Tale is currently available to stream on Netflix. The journalist concluded by encouraging readers to check it out and share their thoughts, suggesting that the film’s quiet release is “just weird” and warrants attention.
Expanded News Report:
Why: Netflix appears to have intentionally minimized promotion for The Rats: A Witcher Tale. The reasons remain unclear, but speculation centers on a potential strategic shift prioritizing completion rates over initial hype, or a lack of confidence in the film’s reception following the change in lead actors.
Who: The Rats: A witcher Tale stars Dolph Lundgren and serves as a prequel to Season 4 of The Witcher. The film was noticed by an entertainment journalist covering videogame adaptations, who first highlighted the lack of publicity. Netflix is the distributor and the company behind the decision to
