‘Shadowhunters’ season 2 loses showrunner before filming begins

With “Shadowhunters” getting set for its second season on Freeform, it appears that the network is now going to have to go hunting for something entirely different: A new showrunner.

Per a report from Deadline, Ed Decter, who helped to develop the adaptation for the network and was the man responsible for steering the ship for the entirety of the first season, is no longer with the show after some reported creative differences. The move was reportedly sudden, and there is no word just yet as to who will step in to replace him.

With this change, we do imagine that there will be a few things that are different in regards to the series’ creative direction, but probably not something so jarring that it significantly changes perception of the show in any way. There is no real need to fundamentally shake things up when you already have a product that is working. Fans are high on the series, and it even scored a little bit of love while at the Teen Choice Awards recently.

The second season of the show is going to premiere at some point in the new year, and we certainly do think there are some high expectations for it after being a key driver of both ratings and social traffic to Freeform. With “Pretty Little Liars” potentially ending sooner rather than later, this could soon be a series that they bank on and use as a tentpole for some time to come. This is further explanation for the need to get things right.