Netflix has officially renewed Shadow and Bone in one of the most anticipated but least surprising moves all year. The fantasy adaptation was a huge hit when it premiered in late April, remaining in the number one slot on the Top 10 list for days. Judging by the source material novels by Leigh Bardugo, the story will only get more epic from here.
Shadow and Bone premiered on Netflix on Friday, April 23 to a lot of fanfare. Still, its massive success caught many critics by pleasant surprise. It tells the story of a young woman discovering her unique powers in a world populated by “Grisha” — elemental mages who are conscripted into their nation’s military. Its fictional world is blemished by a magical fall-out zone called “The Shadow Fold,” which the main character Alina (Jessie Mei Li) may have the power to cure.
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According to Netflix’s self-reported metrics, more than 55 million member households watched Shadow and Bone in its first 28 days on the service. Upon the renewal, showrunner Eric Heisserer issued a statement saying: “I’m honored and thrilled to return to the Grishaverse, and continue the stories of these endearing characters, particularly Milo.”
Fans have been dying for a Shadow and Bone renewal since the weekend the show premiered. From early on, the site What’s on Netflix reported that the decision had already been made behind closed doors, but it still took weeks to go public. Considering the show’s massive success, a renewal seemed highly likely all along.
Bardugo and showrunner Eric Heisserer have both expressed their hopes for a renewal all along. However, if they had any hints that the good news was coming they didn’t spoil it. In May, Heisserer admitted that the cliffhanger ending of Season 1 was a calculated move to raise the show’s chances for a second season.
“It was me daring Netflix not to renew us,” he told Variety. Now that the cliffhanger ending will be satisfied, and even book readers can see how the show’s timeline will be reconciled.
Shadow and Bone tells the story in Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy of books, but it also uses characters and elements from the Six of Crows duology. In the books, the Six of Crows storyline is set two years after the ending of the original trilogy, so the addition of these elements is sure to have more ripple effects as the show continues.
Shadow and Bone Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix, and Season 2 is coming soon. Bardugo’s books are available here on Amazon in print, digital and audiobook formats.
