Shadow and Bone officially canceled by Netflix

Shadow and Bone, a hit when it launched on Netflix in 2021, was back on the streaming platform in March 2023 for an 8-episode second season. Since then, fans of the adaptation of Leigh Bardugo‘s work have been waiting to find out what fate awaited their favorite show: a new season, a spinoff, or a cancellation?

Despite a major mobilization over the last eight months, it’s the latter option that Netflix has chosen, as Deadline has announced. Season 3 of Shadow and Bone will therefore not see the light of day, nor will the spin-off about the Six of Crows, long teased by the show’s writers.

Leigh Bardugo, the saga’s author, was quick to react, saying on Instagram: “Friends, by now you’ve probably heard that there will be no season 3 for Shadow and Bone and no Six of Crows spinoff. The news hit me hard. I’m heartbroken and deeply disappointed, but I’m also trying to hold onto my very real gratitude. Most authors never get to see their work adapted. Many who do end up regretting the experience. I’m one of the lucky few who can look at an adaptation with pride and tremendous joy”.

After thanking the teams involved in the series, Leigh Bardugo adds: “most of all I want to say how grateful I am to the folks reading this — whether you found your way to the books first or discovered them through the show. The Grishaverse is a better place because of you and I am so thankful for every tweet, post, comment, review, artwork, fic, tattoo, and cosplay that helped to make all of this possible. We’re book people and that means we never stop imagining that magic can be made real. You are proof of that. Now, I’m going to go have a cry, and maybe a drink, and then see where the story takes us next”.

The 16-episode Shadow and Bone series featured, among others, Jessie Mei Li (Alina), Ben Barnes (General Kirigan), Archie Renaux (Mal), Freddy Carter (Kaz), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper), Danielle Galligan (Nina), Sujaya Dasgupta (Zoya), Daisy Head (Genya) and Calahan Skogman (Mattias). Some of these actors will be in Paris in 2024 to meet their fans at the A Storm of Crows of Shadows 3 convention. A way to bring the Shadow and Bone adventure to a more positive conclusion.