Shadow and Bone teaser trailer is here and I don't know how I feel about it. Yes, it looks like Netflix put a lot of money into this show, it looks spectacular. They spared no expense. It also looks pretty accurate to the books. Well, Shadow and Bone isn't just an adaptation of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, it is an adaptation of all of the Grishaverse books. Which might be a bit too much. But, the trailer seems focused on only the first book so that's good.
I think my main problem is the casting. Especially the two leads. I feel like Ben Barnes is too young to be General Kirigan and Jessie Mei Li strikes me as an odd choice. I can't explain why without spoiling what will happen, but if the show is loyal to the books, having a half-Asian actress go through that, will cause a lot of criticism. I just hope they will drop it. It's not that important anyway. I just see a potential for a S.J.W. scandal. I am not feeling these two casting choices, even though I do like Ben Barnes.
I know it is a teaser trailer, but it is a lot of tease and not a lot of explanations. I hope people who haven't read the books will still feel excited about the show, because there is a lot to be excited about. Yes, I read the books first, long before the rights to adapt them were acquired. There are not that many fantasy novels that are based on East European mythology, and on top of that, the books are based on Tsarist Russia. It is different and exciting in a genre that sometimes falls into the land of the generic. I think that this trailer sells the fantasy part, but not the plotting. The books aren't exactly Game of Thrones, but there is a lot of backstabbing and plotting in them. Besides all of the magic and fantasy there is the royal family and everything that goes with that. There are so many political intrigues that the teaser doesn't even hint at, that I just really hope that they are on the show at all. Because the trailer is just all fantasy, in a cool special way, but it can be even more special.
Still, I am very excited for the show and I can't wait to watch it.
What did you think about the teaser?
Shadow and Bone will air on Netflix on April 23, 2021.
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