With HBO working on Game Of Thrones-related shows as the main series comes to an end, and Amazon developing a massive Lord Of The Rings series, Netflix may have been feeling a little left out in the epic fantasy genre. Fortunately for them, they’ve used their practically unlimited funds to order the Shadow And Bone books to series, potentially putting them in position for their own fantasy franchise.
Written by Leigh Bardugo, the bestselling books in her Grishaverse series include the Shadow And Bone trilogy, the Six Of Crows duology, as well as the upcoming title King Of Scars, the first in a new duology by that name. Netflix has ordered an eight-episode series, which will be shepherded by Eric Heisserer (Arrival) and Shawn Levy (Stranger Things).
The Shadow And Bone series will cover the first two overlapping book series in the Grishaverse, which revolve around Alina Starkov, an orphan-turned-soldier who must attempt to survive in the dark and monster-plagued Shadow Fold. The Grisha, a group of elite military magicians, welcome Alina into their ranks and train her, but the leader seeks to use Alina’s untapped potential for his own means.
The Grishaverse books have sold over 2.5 million copies in English alone, which doesn’t include the 38 other translations across the globe. Bardugo confirmed the news on Twitter:
This is real. Shadow & Bone AND Six of Crows are coming to @netflix. The #grishaverse is about to come to life. https://t.co/FPD2VbYf2F
— Leigh Bardugo (@LBardugo) January 10, 2019
Heisserer is set to be the show’s creator, writer, and executive producer, which should make fans hugely excited considering he penned Arrival, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay a few years ago. He and Levy have worked together before under their 21 Laps production banner. This project is a part of Levy’s overall deal with Netflix.
Christina Strain (The Magicians) is also set to be a writer on the show.
Considering Netflix’s impressive track record of developing hit shows, it’s hard to see Shadow And Bone not becoming a big deal, especially considering the creative talent already on board.
While their rivals are developing fantasy shows based on pre-existing IP that will likely pale in comparison to the originals simply because they were so good, Netflix is forging ahead with something fresh, and may stay ahead of their competitors because of it.
#Peace.Love.ShadowAndBone
