The official Shadow and Bone season 2 release date has been announced by Netflix for 2023. The hit fantasy series based on author Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse debuted on Netflix in 2021 to a very positive response. Viewers watched in mass to witness the story of Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and the sprawling supporting characters around her. Netflix unsurprisingly renewed Shadow and Bone for season 2 after the show's performance, but the streaming service has not provided many updates on when fans will return to the Grishaverse.
Netflix officially announced Shadow and Bone season 2's release date today, confirming that the series returns on March 16, 2023. The new season once again consists of eight episodes. Shadow and Bone season 2 features the returns of familiar characters like Alina, Malyen Oretsev (Archie Renaux), General Kirigan/The Darkling (Ben Barnes), and more. The season also includes the introduction of major new characters in Tolya Yul-Bataar (Lewis Tan), Nikolai Lantsov (Patrick Gibson), Wylan Hendricks (Jack Wolfe), and Tamar Kir-Bataar (Anna Leong Brophy).
Why Shadow and Bone Season 2 Is Releasing Two Years After Season 1
Shadow and Bone season 2's release date in March 2023 means that it will be nearly two years since season 1, which debuted in April 2021. The long wait for another season of the show was somewhat unexpected. Shadow and Bone season 1 drew plenty of viewers early on and was officially renewed for a second season in June 2021. The crew made terrific progress on the series in a short amount of time, as all eight episodes were written only a few months later. This allowed Shadow and Bone season 2 to begin filming in early 2022 and finish by June.
The nine-month turnaround between when filming concluded and when Shadow and Bone season 2 will release might be a bit longer than fans were hoping for. However, the latest entry in the Grishaverse is expanding the scope of the story. This likely means even bigger set pieces, displays of power, fantastical moments, and other moments that could require heavy CGI work. This could help explain the slightly longer wait for Shadow and Bone season 2, as the backlog of VFX work caused by COVID-19 might have left Netflix with no choice but to hold off on releasing the series.
Now that Shadow and Bone season 2's release date is confirmed, audiences no longer have to wonder when the Grishaverse is coming back. Netflix has only given fans a few teases of what to expect, as Shadow and Bone season 2's teaser trailer debuted earlier this year. With Shadow and Bone season 2's release now only a few months away, more promotional materials should come in the near future to further generate excitement for the show's return.
Source: Netflix