Shock to ‘Shadow And Bone’ fans: Netflix makes a tough decision after two seasons

When the fantasy series ‘Shadow And Bone – Legends of Grisha’ appeared on Netflix in the spring of 2021, a new big hit seemed born for the streaming service. The young adult story about cartographer Alina (Jessie Mei Li) was well received by audiences and critics, spawned a large fan base of Leigh Bardugo’s book and even offered franchise potential – it quickly became clear that “Six Of Crows” would be a spin-off used to be. and more is being discussed.

After the second season of ‘Shadow And Bone’ started in March 2023, Netflix did not comment on a further renewal for quite some time – and many fans had bad thoughts at the time. Now it is clear: Netflix cancels “Shadow And Bone – Legends of Grisha” after just two seasons!

“Shadow And Bone”: Here’s how you find out what happens next

This comes as a shock to anyone who has been following the story of Alina, her boyfriend Mal (Archie Renaux) and the dark Kirigan (Ben Barnes) on the home screen, as the story is not told to the end. There is at least one consolation: if you want to know the fate of the characters, you can turn to the series of novels “Grisha” by Leigh Bardugo. In any case, this has been completed.

The author himself was affected and “deeply disappointed” by the cancellation of the series. On She made her feelings public: ‘The news hit me hard. My heart is broken and I am deeply disappointed, but I am trying to hold on to the fact that I also have a lot to be grateful for. Most authors never see their work edited. And many of those who experience it regret the experience. I am one of the lucky few who can look forward to such an adjustment with pride and great joy.”

Also the last straw for fans, that the focus might simply shift from Netflix’s main series to the spin-offs of “Six Of Crows” (because the characters around Kaz Brekker developed into big fan favorites), was cut short: How confirmed, that is also the case planned series “Six Of Crows”. finally off the table.

Netflix is ​​currently figuring things out

If One of the possible reasons for the cancellation is cited by many trade magazines as the Hollywood strikes. which has just ended, but has shut down many productions for months. Studios and providers are currently adjusting their programs because a lot of work has to be ‘catched up’ at once, many seasons are delayed and Netflix and other streaming services are noisy For example, they fear that the longer wait for new seasons could cause fan interest to decline.

But that should certainly be seen as only one side of the coin. It’s a fact that series are increasingly being canceled in the midst of the highly competitive streaming market (and this was long before the strikes). and leaves some viewers frustrated. For FILMSTARTS editor Stefan Geisler, this is also one of the reasons why he would like to renounce series:

Bee Season 2 of ‘Shadow and Bone’ After the start in the spring, it became clear that public interest was no longer as great as in season 1 – the new episodes did not immediately reach the top of the global Netflix top ten, which we saw as a bad sign at the time, because of course all streaming services look carefully at the viewing figures before deciding on a possible renewal.

“Shadow And Bone – Legends of Grisha” is just one of a whole Series that Netflix has since canceled when it was reorganized after the strike break. There will also be no more seasons of the animated series “Agent Elvis,” “Farzar” and “Captain Fall,” as well as the comedy series “Glamorous” with “Sex And The City” star Kim Catrall.