Netflix has had some mixed success when it comes to launching new fantasy properties. For every The Witcher, there’s a Cursed (that Camelot retelling with Katherine Langford? No? Never mind…). Thankfully, Shadow and Bone turned out to be one of the good ones, with the ambitious drama based on the best-selling novels by Leigh Bardugo finding enormous success on the streaming platform when it debuted in spring 2021. After a long time spent eagerly waiting for more updates, fans have been rewarded for their patience at today’s Tudum event.
Series lead Jessie Mei Li, who stars as Sun-summoning chosen one Alina Starkov, appeared during the live-streamed showcase, alongside returning co-star Ben Barnes (the Darkling) and some new additions for season 2 playing fan-favorites from the original novels. Namely, Patrick Gibson (Prince Nikolai), Jack Wolfe (Wylan Van Eck), Lewis Tan (Tolya Kir-Bataar) and Anna Leong Brophy (Tamar Kir-Bataar).
Together, the gang unveiled a brief teaser for season 2, which managed to pack a lot of action and intrigue into just 40 seconds. Check it out below.
In case you missed the first season, Shadow and Bone takes place in the so-called Grishaverse, broadly based on late 19th century Europe. While the fate of all Ravka lies in the hands of Alina, the most powerful Grisha ever, conman Kaz Brekker (Freddie Carter) and his squad of loveable rogues have their own problems in neighboring country Ketterdam. The bulging ensemble cast also includes Archie Renaux, Amita Suman, Kit Young, and Daisy Head.
Frustratingly, this teaser doesn’t provide any specific clues on when Shadow and Bone will be summoned back onto streaming, other than to promise it’s coming sometime in 2023. Going by its debut run, we may be looking at a release window of April or May.