Netflix releases teaser for fantasy series ‘Shadow and Bone’ starring Ben Barnes

Netflix has released the first teaser announcement and release date for the adaptation of Shadow and Bone, an upcoming fantasy series starring Ben Barnes. 

The actor best-known for portraying Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia, returns to the high fantasy genre as antagonist General Kirigan/The Darkling in the series adaptation of the Leigh Bardugo novel of the same name. 

The teaser video posted on Thursday (Dec. 17), gives fans a brief glimpse of the upcoming series set in the Russia-inspired world of Ravka. The 40-second clip shows a snowy glimpse of a stag, accompanied by Barnes' voice-over saying: "You and I are going to change the world." 

#ShadowAndBone is coming to @netflix in APRIL! ?? https://t.co/pP6ZKT9EEF

— Ben Barnes (@benbarnes) December 17, 2020

Aside from finally hearing him speak in character for the first time, this has been the first confirmation fans have gotten about the show's release date on Netflix on April 2021.

While Barnes is best known the playing the title role of Caspian in Narnia’s epic fantasy Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), he has also portrayed a number of iconic adaptation roles, including Marvel villain Jigsaw in Marvel’s The Punisher and Logan Delos in the sci-fi western TV series Westworld. 

In Shadow and Bone, he co-stars with newcomer Jessie Mei Li (Last Night in Soho) as Alina Starkov, Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, Kit Young as Jesper Fahey and Archie Renaux as Mal Oretsev. 

So delighted to finally(!!) share the cast of Season 1 of the @netflix adaptation of Shadow and Bone with you: @JessieMeiLi @archierenaux @benbarnes @amitasuman_ @kittheyounger @freddycarter1 I am so thrilled to begin this adventure with this incredible cast. #NMNF #shadowandbone pic.twitter.com/X5Z9ivM0eq

— Leigh Bardugo (away for a while) (@LBardugo) October 2, 2019

Shadow and Bone takes place in the Grishaverse, named for the Grisha, people with the ability to manipulate the elements. The Darkling leads the Grisha in their struggle against the enemies of Ravka. The story’s hero is Alina Starkov, a teenage girl who discovers she has the ability to control light.

As reported by PopCulture.com, the show will combine two different young adult and fantasy series by Leigh Bardugo, both set in the Grishaverse: the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and the Six of Crows duology, which is set a few years later in a different location.

Netflix ordered the eight-episode series adaptation of the novels back in January 2019. Filming was held in Hungary from October 2019 to February 2020, and managed to wrap up production just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

Bardugo's novels, which have sold over three million copies, are available in print, digital and audio format wherever books are sold. Shadow and Bone is expected to premiere on April 2021 on Netflix.

(Images via Netflix)