Netflix released a new trailer for Shadow and Bone on Tuesday as the premiere date approaches. The three-minute new video shows more of the “Grisha” powers at work than any before and gives fans a few lines of dialogue from Ben Barnes as “The Darkling” General Kirigan. Everyone from the cast to the fans themselves celebrated the new release.
The new Shadow and Bone trailer takes fans into “the Shadow Fold,” and introduces them to Alina Starkov’s (Jessie Mei Li) unique powers as a “Sun Summoner.” This Netflix original series is based on a trilogy of novels by the same name, where Alina’s encounter with the Shadow Fold and her discovery of her powers kick off all the action. Here, it’s clear that the producers are not wasting any time holding the big reveal back.
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Other big reveals from the new trailer include a new look at Alina’s training with Baghra (Zoe Wanamaker), a more thorough introduction to Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) and his crew, and a bit of an explanation of how the timeline of the series will be reconciled.
Shadow and Bone is based on two separate series by author Leigh Bardugo, both set in her “Grishaverse.” It combines the events of the Shadow and Bone trilogy with the Six of Crows duology. The latter takes place after the former in writing, but here they will be combined.
To do that, some events need to be changed or moved around, and this trailer began to explain how. In the books, Six of Crows follows Kaz and his crew of thieves on an impossible mission to secure power in the world left behind by Alina’s actions in Shadow and Bone. In the show, it sounds like Kaz and “The Dregs” will be after Alina herself.
Fun Fact. This was my final audition scene and in the audition it was the first time I met @FreddyCarter1 and the next photo was my first ever audition for Jesper and first time I met @amitasuman_ so shooting these were extra special. Can’t wait for you to see them! pic.twitter.com/0YEVFuzbak
— Kit Young (@kittheyounger) March 30, 2021
“She’s real,” Kaz tells Inej (Amita Suman) in the trailer. Later, a man who must be Jan Van Eck tells the Dregs: “The prize is one million kruge. Bring me Alina Starkov.”
Curiously, Jan Van Eck is not listed on the Shadow and Bone IMDb page yet, nor is Wylan Van Eck, for that matter. Still more surprising, Bo Yul-Bayur is listed in the cast, and played by Dan Li. However, if Kaz and the Dregs are hunting Alina, it is unclear what role Bo Yul-Bayur might play in the plot.
All of these questions serve to make the show exciting for both old fans and new fans alike. Shadow and Bone is acclaimed for pushing the boundaries of high-fantasy as we know it on the page, and in the clamor for more fantasy adaptations on the screen, it’s one of the most exciting projects coming this year. It premieres on Friday, April 23 on Netflix.
