When it comes to Netflix, non-news gets about as much attention as actual news, and with this weekend having seen TUDUM come and go, there was plenty of news and non-news to be had.
The biggest piece of non-news at the moment is the lack of even a whisper on the future of Shadow and Bone, which looks more and more likely to go the way of its endangered young adult fantasy brethren with every passing day of silence. As Shadow and Bone drowns, however, Netflix has wasted no time in getting the ball rolling in the political thriller department, with The Diplomat‘s second season having hit the ground running.
Elsewhere, Extraction 2‘s success has taken center stage in more ways than one, and, somehow, the possible expansion of Day Shift into franchise territory still seems to be in play.
Season 2 of The Diplomat seems to top Netflix’s priorities
Fantasy may be the forgotten genre child of the streaming giant, but apparently political thrillers are the successful lawyer-doctors that Netflix always wanted; judging by how fast the second season of The Diplomat went from being greenlit to beginning production, it certainly seems that way.
The series has more than earned its place at the upper end of the streamer’s bucket list, though it’s nevertheless a far cry from Netflix’s usual business practices, which often involve years of waiting between seasons. But especially after that season 1 cliffhanger, they probably don’t want to keep Diplomat superfan Stephen King waiting too long.
And at the bottom of those priorities…
…we have poor old Shadow and Bone. In the time it’s taken The Diplomat to make its debut and begin shooting its second season, Shadow and Bone fans have waited and waited for a sign that they’ll be returning to the GrishaVerse, but with TUDUM not offering even a wink or a nod, those hopes seem to have drawn their last breath.
Season 3 of Shadow and Bone should be considered renewed until proven canceled — of course — but given Netflix’s history with other young adult fantasy shows, there’s no shame in anticipating the chopping block, either.
The Extraction helmsman is already daydreaming about the third installment
With Extraction 3‘s confirmation at TUDUM, fans of Sam Hargrave’s high-octane action thrillers have wasted no time in wondering where Tyler Rake’s escapades could take him next, and the director himself was all too happy to entertain the possibility of setting the next film in Tokyo.
We can only hope that Hargrave fights for this reality with everything he’s got; after all, given that it will be the third film in the franchise, it’s right about time that we got Extraction: Tokyo Drift, so here’s hoping the producers will bite.
As for why Extraction 3 is happening, we can probably all figure that out
Extraction 2 may have taken some naysayers by surprise, but when it comes to the best of Netflix’s material, the Chris Hemsworth-led action thrillers aren’t immediately the first conduits that come to mind, so why did it take a matter of hours after the sequel’s debut for confirmation of the threequel to rear its head?
The answer lies on Hemsworth’s Instagram, where you can clearly see Extraction and Extraction 2 occupying the top two spots on Netflix’s most-watched list. Apparently, people just can’t get enough of Tyler Rake.
Day Shift may have been a flash in the pan, but could it have been enough for Night Shift to follow?
On the other end of the popularity spectrum is Day Shift — the Jamie Foxx-led vampire-hunting movie that’s due to celebrate its first birthday later this summer — and despite the film seeming to have rolled up and dipped in the same breath, director J.J. Perry still has active plans for this possible franchise-in-the-making.
There’s potential to spare, to be sure; potential that could easily be realized if Perry manages to bring John Wick: Chapter 4 writer Shay Hatten on board, and if Netflix is willing to take another stab at this particular IP, we’d be more than happy to see what else this mythos can serve up.