In the summer of 2021, the second season of Shadow and Bone was commissioned and behind the scenes it started to happen. This is what we know about Shadow and Bone Season 2, including what new characters to expect, what to expect from the story, and the latest production developments. We’ll keep this preview updated over time, so bookmark it for the latest news.

To recap, based on the series of books in the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo, the fantasy show’s first season premiered on Netflix on April 23, 2021.

The cast for the first season included Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman and Kit Young.

Has Shadow and Bone been renewed for Season 2?

Official Renewal Status: Renewed (last updated: 06/07/2021)

While there will be plenty of source material to come and the fact that we’ve reported that the show has been in active development for quite some time, the official renewal didn’t come until Netflix’s Geeked Week, where they made a ton of new announcements.

The extension came alongside a video (leaked the day before the official announcement – oops!) featuring the cast talking about the extension.

Calling all Grisha! Leave a to call out exciting news pic.twitter.com/OH0r2H1L0c

— Shadow And Bone (@shadowandbone_) June 7, 2021

About the extension, Shawn Levy (who served as an executive producer on the show):

“My 21 Lapp colleagues and I are thrilled that audiences around the world can continue to explore the Grishaverse and enjoy the epic, unique stories of Shadow and Bone. The nice thing about our work as producers is the collaboration with creative partners who inspire us. Leigh Bardugo and Eric Heisserer are two such partners; together they have created a world and pantheon of characters that fans around the world have embraced. We can’t wait to take viewers on the wild ride that comes next…”

Eric Heisserer will continue his role as showrunner for Season 2.

Past Shadow and BoneShawn Levy’s 21 Laps is currently working on an output deal for Netflix, which has expanded into a first-look deal for all feature films with 10 currently in development.

As an aside, we’ve also heard rumors that there could be a spin-off in development that also specifically pertains to the Crows who played a pivotal role in Season 1.

How well did Shadow and Bone perform on Netflix?

According to Netflix, 55 million Netflix members watched the show in its first 28 days. That puts the show 8th on Most Watched English TV Shows of All Time (at least according to released Netflix stats).

This is also consistent with the top 10 data collected. It currently ranks eighth for the number of points accumulated worldwide behind Vincenzo but in front of snow piercer immediately respectable 16,342 points collected worldwide. It also had the 14th biggest debut on Netflix since March 2020.

Netflix states that the series is number 1 in 79 countries.

Shadow and Bone dropped out of the top 50 worldwide titles on Netflix on May 30, 2021.

The show too held a certified new rating for a while, but that has since dropped to 87%, while the audience rating is still at 90%.

Which cast will return for Shadow and Bone Season 2?

A few quick things that were confirmed, including the fact that Season 2 will be a total of 8 episodes, with each episode lasting about an hour.

The following cast has been confirmed to return for Season 2:

• Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov)
• Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev)
• Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker)
• Amita Suman (other)
• Kit Young (Jesper Fahey)
• Ben Barnes (General Kirigan)
• Danielle Galligan (Nina Zenik)
• Calahan Skogman (Matthias Helvar)

In terms of what new cast members will be playing in Shadow and Bone season 2, we haven’t heard anything about new members, but we can confirm which characters will be jumping to the series in season 2.

Here are the new characters we can confirm Netflix is ​​casting for:

• Nikolai Lantov – A prince who develops an alter ego called Sturmhond and recruits a crew of mercenaries and soldiers to help Ravka. Described as confident and full of swagger.
• Tamar Kir-Bataar – A Grisha Heartrender (ability to manipulate bodies) and carries two axes. Is Tolya’s twin sister (listed below) and is an LGBTQ character.
• Tolya Yul-Bataar – Described as tall and muscular, Tolya will be a mercenary among Sturmhond’s crew.
• Wylan Van Eck – Son of a wealthy merchant and transported to the criminal underworld after joining the Crows as a skilled chemist and demolition expert.

What to expect from Shadow and Bone season 2 on Netflix

Now let’s try to predict what to expect from Season 2.

A quick recap for the end of Season 1. Our heroes rejoin the herd for the last time, and yet more are killed. Kirigan uses Alina’s growing powers to create a new tunnel of light to allow passage through the darkness within the herd. A big fight breaks out and it seems the world is more divided than ever.

The deer’s power still eludes many of the characters, but in a vision, Alina realizes that only she can harness its power, not Kirigan.

Ben Barnes has spoken of how his character would change and adapt in Season 2 with his newfound power, saying:

“He is someone who has had an army and has been in charge of this medieval hierarchy, someone who is revered and feared. But he’s even more alone now – with a handful of vendettas and a gathered band of people trying to kill him. He’s kind of almighty now. He just has to think something dark, and it will happen. So it will be interesting to see which characters we see him interacting with in the future.”

Jessie Mei Li in conversation with DigitalSpy also made some notable comments about what to expect, namely:

“Alina changes from a scared little puppy who can’t look anyone in the eye to suddenly this feeling of gravity in front of her. We feel she’s grown a lot, and she’s really strong. But she still has a long way to go, which is a really nice place to leave her. We now know where she is going and where she needs to go.”

How close the series will stay to the books remains to be seen. It’s been pretty close so far with some notable anomalies, but Season 2’s central storyline should to follow Siege and Storm. Here is the synopsis of the second book:

“The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the limits of the natural world. With the help of a notorious hijacker, Alina returns to the land she left behind, determined to face the forces that are gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slides deeper into the Darkling’s play of forbidden magic and further away from Mal. Somehow she will have to choose between her country, her power and the love she always thought would guide her – or risk losing everything in the approaching storm.’

According to a season 2 synopsis seen by What’s on Netflix, in the second season, Alina and Mal will be on the run in search of another mythical target that will aid them in their fight against Kirigan, while possibly teaming up with a new ally.

The Crows will also feature prominently in Season 2 (and are even rumored to be getting their own spin-off series) returning to Ketterdam taking on old rivals.

Season 2 promises us a season of “political intrigue, bloody battles, flying ships, friends reunited, new lands and a family secret that will shatter all expectations.”

When will Shadow and Bone Season 2 start shooting?

Any sort of movie date has yet to be officially confirmed by Netflix, but in early November 2021, we reported that production is currently slated to begin in January 2022.

Shadow and Bone Season 2 will again be filmed entirely in Budapest and will run from January to July 2022.

We will keep you informed during the development of Shadow and Bone season 2 if and when we get it, but for now, let us know in the comments if you’re looking forward to a second season hitting Netflix.