Netflix reveals a first look and release date for the Shadow and Bone adaptation

Fans of the Grishaverse books are about to be very happy. 

Netflix has revealed a series of first-look images for its upcoming series adaptation of Shadow and Bone. The eight-episode series will launch on the streaming service on April 23, 2021, based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse books. Bardugo also serves as executive producer on the series. 

Here’s Netflix synopsis for the series:

Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive.

Shadow and Bone takes place in a very different kind of fantasy world than viewers might be used to. Bardugo describes it this way: “Think Imperial Russia, not Medieval England, repeating rifles instead of broadswords.” The show depicts the story of the books with an epic scale, from battles and magic to in-depth character dynamics.

Showrunner Eric Heisserer said:

These photos offer a glimpse into the expansive, textured world Leigh created in her books. We worked tirelessly to craft a lived-in feel for fictional lands like Ketterdam and Ravka, with invented languages, uniforms, currency, and artistic choices from set design to costuming. You’re immersed in the Grishaverse when you read, and it’s our hope that both new and existing fans have that same feeling when they watch the show. The series has an incredibly passionate fanbase and we can’t wait for new people to discover the magic that is Shadow and Bone.

The series adapts the first trilogy of Grishaverse books, as well as stories from the Crows duology. The latter books focus on a gang of criminals, taking place years after the main trilogy. Some of those characters will still appear in the series, although the full crew hasn’t come together yet. Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Archie Renaux and more star. You can check out more images here. 

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