What We Know About Netflix’s ‘Shadow and Bone’

Netflix just dropped new images and a release date for ‘Shadow and Bone’, starring Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Ben Barnes, Freddy Carter, Kit Young, Amita Suman, Danielle Galligan and Calahan Skogman. We have all the details.

Mark your calendars for April 23rd! Netflix just “pulled back the veil,” giving us a release date and letting fans take a sneak peek at the world of their newest adaptation, Shadow and Bone! In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, fans got to go behind the scenes, seeing exclusive photos and finding out the newest details about the series. Here’s what we know so far!

Shadow and Bone is an adaptation of the Grishaverse, a fantastical world created by Leigh Bardugo. It takes inspiration from Imperial Russia, so instead of swords and castles, think onion domes and muskets. In this world there are powerful humans, called Grisha, who practice “Small Science,” which is essentially magic.

The show follows the main trilogy of the Grishaverse, set in the fictional country of Ravka, who is at war with shadowy monsters. Mapmaker Alina Starkov, played by Jessie Mei Li, discovers that she might be the key to help save her country. In order to do so, she must leave behind her childhood friend Mal, played by Archie Renaux, and join the ranks of the Grisha, led by The Darkling, played by Ben Barnes. However, things at the capital are not what they seem…

Bardugo has expressed excitement over the casting of Ben Barnes, saying he has an ageless quality making him perfect to play the Darkling. She’s also pointed out how detailed and immersive the show is, saying that old and new fans will be pleased. She shared a tweet of a character poster, pointing out “THE DETAILS”!

But the world doesn’t end with Grisha and Ravka. The show will simultaneously be adapting a popular spin-off duology, Six of Crows and A Crooked Kingdom! These books follow six delinquents who live in the underbelly of Ketterdam, a city on an island west of Ravka. They attempt to pull off the heist of the century: rescuing a diplomat’s son from a military stronghold in the hostile kingdom of Fjerda.

New photos give fans a closer look at Kaz Brekkar (on the right), Inej Ghafa (in the middle), and Jesper Fahey (on the left), who are played by Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, and Kit Young. Bardugo is excited at the added criminal element and how their story dovetails in with that of the main trilogy.

Another photo shows us Nina Zenik and Matthias Helvar, played by Danielle Galligan and Calahan Skogman. They’re an odd pair, as Nina is a playful and cunning Grisha spy, while Matthias is a stoic, Fjerdan witchhunter, who views Grisha as evil. They appear to be alone outside, leading fans to speculate Shadow and Bone will show us their intense backstory.

Attentive fans noticed two popular characters, Wylan and Nikolai, are missing. However, Bardugo has clarified that Shadow and Bone serves as a prologue for the Six of Crow books, so Wylan will not appear in season one. Nikolai makes his debut in the second book of the main trilogy, so he will also not be in the first season either.

Twitter user Mery_carstairs is thrilled to see the Six of Crows characters:

While @galacticidiots thinks Alina looks cute in the new stills:

And @goldenhennig shares the opinion the majority of fans had at seeing Ben Barnes:

We can’t wait to see more of the Grishaverse, so make sure to watch on April 23rd!