Netflix released the fourth season of The Witcher this week, just in time for Halloween. The controversial new season has been getting a rather cool reception from critics, and an even chillier response from fans, though Collider‘s review is more upbeat. The fantasy series was bound to be divisive thanks to a controversial recasting. Henry Cavill played the monster hunter protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, in the first three seasons. He was replaced by Liam Hemsworth for the fourth and fifth season.

But Hemsworth isn’t the only new Witcher on Netflix this weekend. The streaming service quietly released a brand-new Witcher movie alongside Season 4. The Rats: A Witcher Tale is a prequel film that tells the story of the group of thieves Ciri (Freya Allan) joins up with at the end of The Witcher’s third season. The film reveals more of the group’s backstory, and introduces us to a brand-new Witcher in the process, played by an action movie legend.

‘The Rats: A Witcher Tale’ Introduces a New Witcher

The Rats: A Witcher Tale was originally planned to be a spin-off streaming series at Netflix, similar to the 2022 series The Witcher: Blood Origin, which bombed with critics and audiences. The story follows The Rats, a group of thieves and misfits traveling around The Continent seeking fame and fortune.

Netflix reportedly shut down production on the series in 2023 prior to its completion and repackaged the show as a movie — though a rather short one, clocking in at just 1 hour and 22 minutes with credits (making it only slightly longer than a typical episode of The Witcher) and shorter than some of the episodes of Stranger Things.

In the film, the Rats encounter a new Witcher named Brehen, played by action-movie legend, Dolph Lundgren. Like Geralt, Brehen is a Witcher with a soft side, and he quickly warms to his new companions, Mistle (Christelle Elwin), Kayleigh (Fabian McCallum), Iskra (Aggy K. Adams), Giselher (Ben Radcliffe), Reef (Juliette Alexandra) and Asse (Connor Crawford). Lundgren‘s involvement was announced back in 2023, though Netflix has done next to no marketing for the film and its release flew mostly under the radar.

How Does ‘The Rats: A Witcher Tale’ Tie-In to ‘The Witcher’ Season 4?

Not only does The Rats: A Witcher Tale give us more backstory on the ragtag group that Ciri has taken up with, but we also encounter a shared antagonist across both the new season and prequel film. Leo Bonhart, played with gleeful violence by Sharlto Copley, is a legendary bounty hunter known for hunting down and killing even the most dangerous quarry, including Witchers. “He’s the unstoppable force he appears to be,” Copley said in an interview. “He doesn’t mind if he dies, and there’s nothing worse than fighting someone who doesn’t care if they die.”

Without spoiling either, Bonhart is certainly a highlight of both The Rats: A Witcher Tale and The Witcher Season 4. Lundgren‘s aged Witcher, Brehen, is an interesting addition to the world as well, though I find it a little odd to have the Rats befriend a Witcher not long before they welcome Ciri into their group.

As of now, there are a grand total of zero reviews from either critics or fans on Rotten Tomatoes for The Rats: A Witcher Tale. A discussion thread on Reddit is mostly very negative, but people seem to be loving Lundgren‘s performance. Just be sure to watch all of Season 4 before you check out the film. It’s a prequel, but it still has spoilers.

All eight episodes of The Witcher Season 4 are out now on Netflix, where you can also watch The Rats: A Witcher Tale.

via Collider