Summary

  • Shadow and Bone season 3 is not happening on Netflix. The show was canceled due to a re-evaluation of content strategy and the impact of strikes on the film industry.
  • The cancelation was also influenced by the viewing numbers not justifying the production costs. The show's popularity was not enough to save it.
  • The cancelation of Shadow and Bone raises concerns about the future of other Netflix adaptations. Shows may not be safe on the platform, and viewers may be less inclined to invest time in them.

Shadow and Bone fans finally have an answer regarding the fate of the show following the release of season 2. Eight months after the second season's premiere, Netflix announced that the show had ended. Unfortunately, the streaming service canceled the fantasy television series (along with four other original shows) on November 15, 2023, and reports surprisingly revealed a few of the exact reasons why Netflix decided not to give the show a third season.

The Shadow and Bone cast included Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Archie Renaux as Malyen "Mal" Oretsev, Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, Ben Barnes as General Aleksander Kirigan/The Darkling, and Zoë Wanamaker as Baghra. These characters in the Netflix fantasy series were based on the characters in author Leigh Bardugo's novels set in the Grishaverse, including the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. Season 1 adapted Shadow and Bone, while the second season was based on Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising, and Crooked Kingdom. Sadly, fans likely won't see the rest of Bardugo's books adapted on Netflix.

Why Netflix Canceled Shadow And Bone After Season 2

An image of Jessie Mei Li as Alina preparing to fight in Shadow and Bone

According to Variety, Netflix canceled Shadow and Bone (and Glamorous, Agent Elvis, Farzaar, and Captain Fall) because the streaming service is re-evaluating its content strategy based on the impact that the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes had on the film industry and Netflix's original television series. However, to put it more clearly — because the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the studios refused to offer writers and actors a fair deal for several months, Shadow and Bone season 3 is not happening on Netflix.

The prolonged work stoppage (the WGA strike lasted 148 days, while the SAG-AFTRA strike carried on for 118 days) is not the only reason Netflix canceled Shadow and Bone. Variety's report implied that the fantasy television show's viewing numbers did not make up for how much it costs to produce it. Following the end of the strikes, Netflix looked at how the work stoppages impacted revenue and if a series' performance was enough incentive to renew it for another season. Unfortunately for Shadow and Bone, Glamorous, Agent Elvis, Farzaar, and Captain Fall, the streaming service decided that their viewing numbers did not cancel out their filming budgets.

What Shadow And Bone's Cancellation Means For The Grishaverse's Future

Still from Shadow and Bone

Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse is expansive (the universe includes ten books — Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising, Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, King of Scars, Rule of Wolves, The Language of Thorns, The Lives of Saints, and Demon in the Wood). As a result, there were rumors that Netflix would continue adapting the novels with spinoffs of Shadow and Bone. However, given that the streaming service canceled the first series in November 2023, it is unlikely that Netflix will order more television shows set in the Grishaverse.

Following the cancelation news, Bardugo posted on Instagram and confirmed that because Shadow and Bone season 3 is not happening, neither is the rumored Six of Crows spinoff. The author expressed her sadness over Netflix's decision but also shared how grateful she was to have some of her books adapted to the screen. Of course, hope remains that another platform will save Shadow and Bone and the Grishaverse's onscreen future will remain intact. But only time will tell if a different streaming service will see potential in the adaptation and want to continue telling stories set in the Grishaverse.

Shadow and bone timeline explained
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Shadow & Bone Timeline Explained (All Events In Chronological Order)

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Shadow And Bone's Fate Doesn't Bode Well For Other Netflix Adaptations

Shadow and Bone had a huge following, but despite its popularity, Netflix canceled it after two seasons. The streaming service has a reputation for ending its original television shows way before their expiration dates (or without giving them a fighting chance), and the fantasy series' cancelation does not give subscribers much hope for the sustainability of other adaptations. It seems as if no television shows are safe on Netflix, and following the recent news, some will be less inclined to watch an original series on the platform.

If the majority of Netflix original shows (and adaptations) get canceled after one or two seasons, there is no reason for anyone to watch them and get invested in the story and characters. It will just hurt more when the streaming service inevitably cancels a series without giving it a proper ending. And Shadow and Bones' cancelation proves that even if a show is popular, that doesn't mean Netflix will save it.

Source: Instagram

Shadow and Bone seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Netflix.