Netflix’s ‘Shadow and Bone’ Season 1: Additional Shooting Planned & What We Know So Far

Logo concept by @IconicNephilim

Netflix is set to adapt Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse book series, Shadow and Bone, as a live-action series. Here’s everything we know so far about the first season of Shadow and Bone.

A live-action series based on Leigh Bardugo’s fantasy-adventure series titles Shadow and Bone was commissioned by Netflix in January 2019 with Eric Heisserer serving as showrunner. Heisserer wrote screenplays for such productions as the Oscar-nominated Arrival, Bird Box, and The Thing remake.

Among the list of directors in the first season is Primetime Emmy nominee Jeremy Webb. The TV veteran has helmed episodes for series such as Doctor Who, The Umbrella Academy, The Punisher, Altered Carbon, and much more.

Showrunner Eric Heisserer and author Leigh Bardugo

Additionally, Game of Thrones and The Witcher language creator David J. Peterson has been tapped to create the fictional languages in the Grishaverse for Shadow and Bone.

What is the plot of Shadow and Bone?

Netflix’s Shadow and Bone will adapt two overlapping series in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, Shadow and Bone, and Six of Crows. The story is set in a world that is split in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness, where unnatural creatures feast on human flesh.

The plot of Shadow and Bone will follow Alina Starkov, a young soldier and a citizen of the Russia-inspired Kingdom of Ravka. She unexpectedly uncovers a power that might save her best friend and finally unite her country. As she starts to hone it, dangerous forces unite against her and only General Kirigan seems to be willing to help.

Although the Netflix adaptation is based on the books, it will massively differ from them according to author Leigh Bardugo:

The show will be radically different from the books. But in the most amazing way. Will be pretty much a high budget fan fiction.

Who is cast in Shadow and Bone?

From left to right: Ben Barnes, Kit Young, Freddie Carter, Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Amita Suman

Here’s who has been confirmed to star in Shadow and Bone and their respective roles:

• Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov
• Ben Barnes as General Kirigan aka The Darkling
• Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker aka Dirtyhands
• Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev
• Kit Young as Jesper Fahey
• Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar
• Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik
• Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa
• Sujaya Dasgupta as Zoya Nazyalensky
• Daisy Head as Genya Safin

What’s the production status on Shadow and Bone?

Production on Netflix’s Shadow and Bone started in October 2019 and wrapped in February 2020, just before the worldwide production shutdown. The first season is currently in post-production.

The cast of Shadow and Bone dropped a video message on the series official twitter account the day filming wrapped:

Shadow and Bone has officially wrapped production and a few friends would like to wish you a warm welcome to the Grishaverse… pic.twitter.com/RjU66NiUmj

— Shadow And Bone (@shadowandbone_) February 28, 2020

And take a look at these behind-the-scenes photos (thanks to @GrishaNetflixTV):

In August 2020, we learned that Shadow & Bone had some additional filming to do with the “Vancouver unit” to do some additional photography. The scheduled dates for that will take place between September 28th to October 9th, 2020 in Vancouver.

How many episodes will the first season debut?

It has been confirmed that the first season of Shadow and Bone will consist of eight episodes.

The episode titles have also been revealed for the series, but it’s unclear what the chronological order is.

At the time of writing we only know the order of two episodes, one and five:

• A Searing Burst of Light (Episode 1)
• Show Me Who You Are (Episode 5)
• No Mourners
• Otkazat’sya (“Refuse” in Russian)
• The Heart is an Arrow
• The Making at the Heart of the World
• The Unsea
• We’re All Someone’s Monster

The directors involved for season 1 of Shadow and Bone include:

• Mairzee Almas
• Lee Toland Krieger
• Dan Liu
• Jeremy Webb
• Eric Heisserer

When will Shadow and Bone be released on Netflix?

As the season was wrapped in February, a significant amount of time has passed for the post-production team to work on the footage.

No release date has been set as of August 2020, but we should be hearing about it from Netflix in the coming months. Even with the additional shooting to take place in September and October 2020, there’s a possibility the first season of Shadow and Bone could be released by the end of 2020. Failing that, the series will almost certainly air in early 2021.

Are you looking forward to the release of Shadow and Bone season one on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!