David Farnor | On 18, Nov 2023

Netflix has cancelled Shadow and Bone after two seasons, along with four other series.

The fantasy epic, based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide best-selling Grishaverse novels, finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing is what it seems.

Starring Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), Ben Barnes (General Kirigan), Danielle Galligan (Nina Zenik) and Calahan Skogman (Matthias Helvar), the show was a hit when it premiered in 2021, prompting a swift renewal for another eight episodes.

“Netflix’s fast, funny and dark fantasy saga is a prime example of a TV adaptation that works as well as the book,” we wrote in our review of Season 1.

Season 2 picked up as Alina Starkov and Mal Oretsev rally their own powerful new allies for a continent-spanning journey to find two mythical creatures that will amplify her powers, hoping to stop General Kirigan and his new army. Back in Ketterdam, a chance at a deadly heist sent the Crows once again on a collision course with the legendary Sun Summoner.

The Crows, a gang of thieves and rascals, were at one point speculated to get their own spin-off series at Netflix, riding the back of a sizeable fan following. Now, however, even with the show spawning a video game franchise, Netflix has confirmed that will not go ahead with a third season of the show.

The decision comes after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike and WGA strike, with Netflix and other broadcasters and streamers evaluating the projects on their projects for viability after a seven-month shutdown of productions, due to them not offering fair terms to writers and actors in a significantly changed digital landscape.

It also comes after Season 2 appeared not to perform as well as Season 1 in Netflix’s viewing charts – and, after the delay before the potential production of Season 3, Netflix likely thought there was not enough momentum for a renewal.

On Instagram, Bardugo wrote that she was “heartbroken and deeply disappointed” but added that she was also “trying to hold on to my very real gratitude”. “Most authors never get to see their work adapted. Many who do end up regretting the experience,” she added. “I’m one of the very few who can look at an adaptation with pride and tremendous joy.”

Netflix has also cancelled Glamorous, Agent Elvis, Farzar and Captain Fall, with all the other series only airing one season. Part 2 of Captain Fall is still to be released by Netflix.

Other projects cancelled in recent weeks include HBO’s The Idol and Winning Time, and Apple TV+’s The Afterparty, City on Fire, Suspicion and High Desert.

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