Netflix denies Shadowhunters discussions; spin-off talks and more
Today, the discussion kicked off with fun news regarding fans getting a billboard in Seoul subway stations. Following that, there was even a little bit of hope released in the form of a Deadline report noting that the production company behind the series was, per Martin Moszkowicz, “in talks to continue to bring Cassandra Clare’s vision to television.”
So where are things now? We should begin here with a statement from Netflix, which makes it clear that on their end, they are currently not looking to revive the show:
“No Netflix negotiations are taking place to extend Shadowhunters beyond the 12 new episodes planned to premiere in 2019.”
Meanwhile, Moszkowicz also clarified some of his comments to Deadline, stating that there are talks on the already-ordered final two episodes and also Clare’s The Infernal Devices, which could feature some characters from Shadowhunters in some form.
So what does all of this really mean? For starters, it’s a mess of mixed messages, and we understand a lot of the anger that is out there given that the original statements. So is the production company Constantin looking to revive the series, or just bring characters over to a new series? We feel like they’re in a situation where they are trying to keep their options open and The Infernal Devices is one thing that they are considering. We do think it’s positive that there are discussions happening about anything related to Shadowhunters at all, but they need to be geared into the right direction. If fans actually seemed interested in a spin-off series, that would be one thing. That just doesn’t seem to be the case based on what we’re hearing across the internet right now. They want the same show back that they had on Freeform for the better part of the past few years and won’t accept anything else. Constantin may either need to find a new suitor for the show or simply hone in more on what fans really want.
If Netflix truly isn’t interested, then this should be the time to cast a wider net elsewhere. We’ve always balked at the idea of putting all of the metaphorical eggs in Netflix’s basket since they’re one of many options that is out there, and we like to think that there are some other possibilities out there, especially Hulu (who has the streaming rights in America right now).
For now, our advice is the same: Keep doing what you’re doing in making sure that your voices are heard. If we do ever hear anything suggesting that Shadowhunters isn’t being revived anywhere, we’ll let you know. We care too much to ever give you false hope. At the moment, though, this updated news is sad — but it’s also not the end.
We’re still including the video below, recorded earlier today, even if it’s a little outdated now. Why? We do think the advice at the center of it still remains the same.
For now, share your thoughts on this whole situation in the comments. Meanwhile, like CarterMatt on Facebook for even more information on all things Shadowhunters. (Photo: Freeform.)