Shadow and Bone among string of shows cancelled by Netflix
Fans had feared the announcement was coming for several months.
Shadow and Bone is one of five Netflix originals to be axed this week, prompting an outcry from its diehard fanbase and heartbreak for creator Leigh Bardugo.
Based on her beloved Grishaverse novels, the fantasy drama stars Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, an orphan who discovers she has the rare ability to control light – making her a threat to the sinister Shadow Fold.
Netflix has been quiet on Shadow and Bone's fate since the second season dropped in March 2023, with the streamer refraining from pulling the plug on shows during the recently concluded strike action by Hollywood actors and writers.
Alas, those decisions are now back on the agenda, with Bardugo's show, which also starred Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Ben Barnes and Zoë Wanamaker, being one of five to be cancelled this week.
On Instagram, Bardugo said: "The news hit me hard. I'm heartbroken and deeply disappointed, but I’m also trying to hold on to my very real gratitude.
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"Most authors never get to see their work adapted. Many who do end up regretting the experience. I’m one of the very few who can look at an adaptation with pride and tremendous joy."
She added: "I am so grateful to our writers, our crew and our extraordinary cast who are not just wildly talented, but genuinely good people.
"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."
Sensing the writing on the wall, fans of Shadow and Bone actually began a campaign to save the show back in May (via Rolling Stone), although its unlikely that the other four shows will enjoy such tireless support.
Agent Elvis is arguably the most star-studded of the bunch, with Matthew McConaughey voicing a fictionalised version of the iconic rock 'n' roll star, which sees him enlisted for a top secret government spy programme.
Two other animated shows were also cancelled – sci-fi offering Farzar and dark comedy Captain Fall – with Deadline chalking up the decision to an executive shake-up at the streaming service.
The last of the cancelled shows is Glamorous, an LGBTQ+ comedy-drama starring Miss Benny and Kim Cattrall, which was originally developed for The CW; a once-prominent US network, which has recently stripped back its scripted output.
Of course, low viewership would also have been a factor in the axing of all of these titles, with none of the above making a major impact on the streamer's top 10 chart.
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