Jessie Mei Li Is Torn Over ‘Shadow and Bone’ Season 3’s Cancellation & Future Potential
Netflix’s Shadow and Bone ran for two seasons on the streamer, and just as things were about to start heating up in the Grishaverse, Netflix decided to pull the plug. The show, which was based on the work of Leigh Bardugo, was canceled, concealing the fate of all concerned to the pages of novels alone. Jessie Mei Li led the show, starring as Alina Starkov, with Mal (Archie Renaux), helping the protagonist develop a best friend-to-lover arc before the story ended in 2023. “It was just the most amazing time,” Li said to The Hollywood Reporter concerning the show and its cancellation. “It’s obviously devastating that it was canceled, but also it felt like we ended it on a high. Sometimes these shows go on and on and on. We had two of the best years of my life. It was so good. And we’re all just super close still.”
Besides the hopes of a third season of the show, there were conversations regarding expanding the franchise with a Netflix spin-off based on the novel Six of Crows, but that got shelved with the flagship series. Despite the disappointment of leaving the character early, Li prefers it that way as it “is a better ending than people being like, “How is this show still going?” But it’s frustrating because it felt like there was so much more to tell.” Li also reveals that playing Alina has changed her life and her career forever, and she has “gone from being just Jessie Mei from Redhill [Surrey, England] to suddenly being recognized,” and she is grateful for what that means.
There are those who are of the opinion that Shadow and Bone deserves another season, and while they might be correct, that decision rests in entirely different hands. The show’s second season left various cliffhangers and there remained the promise of the expansion on fan-favorite characters. So, in the event that Netflix decides to pick up the show for a third season, would Li be up for it? The actor responds, saying:
“Oh God, of course. To go back with all my mates to Budapest and just have a lovely time? Absolutely. It would be a dream. And we do talk about it. Sometimes a bunch of us say, “Well, should we go back to Budapest on holiday? Just pretend we’re back there?””
The ‘Shadow and Bone’ Franchise Was Poised for Expansion
When Shadow and Bone debuted its second season, it did so in one of the top spots for the streaming platform, Netflix. The streamer was impressed, and a highly anticipated spin-off series called Six of Crows was announced. The spin-off would have followed the adventures of Kaz (Freddy Carter), Inej (Amita Suman), Jesper (Kit Young), and other characters from the original series. In the aftermath of the cancellation, series writer Christina Strain took time to expand on plot details, noting that Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skagmar), a witch-hunter, would have bonded with Wylan in their spin-off after the pair initially had a disagreement over a drawing of the Ice Court, which caused Jesper to become jealous as a result.
Shadow and Bone Seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch now on Netflix in the U.S.
- Release Date
-
2021 – 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Eric Heisserer
- Directors
-
Mairzee Almas, Lee Toland Krieger, Jeremy Webb, Bola Ogun, Karen Gaviola, Laura Belsey, Dan Liu
- Writers
-
Eric Heisserer, Vanya Asher, Daegan Fryklind, Shelley Meals, Christina Strain, M. Scott Veach, Donna Thorland, Erin Conley, Nick Culbertson
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
