Along with four other shows, Netflix has cancelled Shadow and Bone after two seasons.
The Grishaverse is no more, at least not on Netflix. The streaming giant, which is infamous for cancelling numerous shows every year, has announced five titles that didn’t survive the chopping block. Some of the shows include Agent Elvis, the animated adult series that starred Matthew McConaughey as a secret agent version of the rock ‘n roll icon, and Glamorous, which starred Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall. But arguably the most upsetting cancellation is Shadow and Bone, the adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s fantasy novels.
Shadow and Bone has been cancelled by Netflix
Shadow and Bone was first released in 2021 on Netflix, but the novels it’s based on were released back in 2012. The small yet avid fanbase of what is affectionately known as the Grishaverse were ecstatic with the news that the novels were being adapted into a live-action TV series. But the series didn’t just draw fans of the novels. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that 55 million households watched the show in its first 28 days, so clearly this brand-new fantasy series had spawned new fans. The metric was enough for Netflix to greenlight a second season.
The second season also received generally favourable reviews and ended with cliffhangers that teased the next season including a spin-off, Six of Crows, which Netflix announced earlier. However, that spin-off and a Season 3 will never see the light of day now—at least not on Netflix.
Many of the cast including Jessie Mei Li and Ben Barnes have posted on social media relaying their gratitude to the fans. Author Leigh Bardugo also expressed that she was “heartbroken and deeply disappointed” but also just how proud she was of the adaptation. “The Grishaverse is a better place because of you,” she wrote, addressing the fans.
Netflix has a reputation for cancelling shows that have a passionate and vocal fanbase. Unsurprisingly, fans of Shadow and Bone have decried the decision, though it’s very unlikely it will be overturned. Some are hoping that other streaming services will pick the series up but it’s unclear whether that will happen.
[Hero image: Netflix]
Eric can be found lost in his own world jamming with headphones on while writing when he's not prepping for a DnD session or researching 'Star Wars' galactic history on Wookiepedia. A proud Ravenclaw, he loves playing (and writing about) video games, humming the 'Doctor Who' theme under his breath, and rewatching 'Friends', 'New Girl', and 'The West Wing'.
