On release date and how to vote for your fave cast, who’s working on the show & what people are saying about the upcoming Amazon Ninth House TV show adaptation
Ghosts. Yale freshmen. And secret occult societies. In October 2021, news of a new TV adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s fantasy books set Grishaverse and Shadow and Bone TV fandom alight. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Ninth House TV show adaptation by Amazon Prime.
Upcoming Ninth House TV Show
Following the successful first season of Shadow and Bone series on Netflix, with Season 2 scheduled for 16 March 2023 and showrunner Eric Heisserer saying outright his plans are to create 3 seasons, Amazon Prime announced in October last year that they’re adapting Leigh Bardugo’s other book series, the Ninth House, into a TV show.
With Bardugo as executive producer.
And it’s exciting because, while Shadow and Bone is still firmly in Bardugo’s young-adult-focused Grishaverse, Ninth House and its upcoming book sequel, Hell Bent (see it among the most anticipated fantasy books in January), are an all-new adult/new adult paranormal, urban fantasy series set in a version of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut – her alma mater and also a popular setting as mysterious “centre of magical power” in fiction.
Update: And we have a Pilot Episode!
In mid-February, just as the Shadow and Bone Season 2 Netflix trailer dropped, Leigh confirmed to Collider’s Therese Lacson that they’ve shot a Ninth House pilot episode and she loves it.
After being heavily involved with Shadow and Bone Season 1 on Netflix, Leigh says she made a deal with herself to step aside a bit for season 2 and really focus on the Alex Stern Ninth House TV show for Amazon prime, saying that she’s been working actively on Ninth House, working with the writers – and that’s what helped renew her focus for the book sequel Hell Bent.
But with Leigh so hands-on, it can only mean good things for the new show…
The Ninth House Premise
Based on the Ninth House book, which follows unlikely Yale freshman, Galaxy “Alex” Stern. As a high school dropout, Alex survived a homicide and now has the ability to see ghosts (“Grays”). Despite her lack of qualifications and troubled background, she is offered a full scholarship, thanks to a secret benefactor.
While adjusting to life at the Ivy League school, Alex is also tasked with monitoring the secret societies on campus, known as the eight Houses of the Veil, as a member of the ninth house called Lethe. These societies are rumoured to harbour dark occult magic and power.
Sounds great! But with Shadow and Bone still running on Netflix and while she’s still writing new novels in the Ninth House universe, how will Bardugo find time to also executive produce this series on Prime?
Leigh Bardugo Comments on Working on 2 Shows at Once
That’s something fellow writer and Bardugo’s personal friend, Holly Black (author of the Elfhame books, the latest of which launched recently and is among the top sci-fi and fantasy books in January) also expressed concern over, especially since it’s with two different studios.
But Bardugo’s not phased, and said she actually relishes the challenge in an interview…
Watch: Clip from Bardugo Interview re Ninth House
@imonjurdaparem i can’t believe u guys didn’t know about this #ninthhouse #leighbardugo #grishaverse #shadowandbone #sixofcrows ♬ original sound – mia taylor
Who’s Working on the Ninth House show with Leigh
When the show was announced in October 2021, Bardugo was named as executive producer alongside frequent collaborator Pouya Shahbazian, Shadow and Bone S1 and Divergent movies series producer – the head of film & TV at New Leaf Literary & Media, who represents Bardugo.
Ninth House Cast
There’s no information on the cast as yet. Who do you think will play Alex and Darlington?
There are a few fancasts (fans expressing who they’d really love to see play their fave characters), including wishes expressed for Afro-Latin actress Lizeth Selene to play Alex “Galaxy” Stern and British Rocketman and Never Let Me Go actor Charlie Rowe as Darlington – with Debra Messing as Mira Stern, Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian‘s Giancarlo Esposito as Dean Shadow and even the Mando himself, Pedro Pascal as Michael Reyes.
You can vote for your favourite fancasts, or suggest new casts for the Night Hosue TV show right here. (Please just remember, it’s a fancast, so not real – we’ll have to wait for more updates from Amazon for a final casting on the Ninth House series.)
Ninth House Series Release Date
There’s also no official release date yet. But we can speculate a bit…
See, your average TV show takes about 16 months to produce a new/first season. And, in fact, that’s exactly how long it took for the first season of Shadow and Bone to air on Netflix – announced on 10 Jan 2019, and aired on 23 April 2021.
So it’s reasonable to assume Ninth House would also take about 16 months. But it’s worth noting that with Shadow and Bone, the books were already written – all 3 Shadow and Bone novels were completed by 2014, with still more Grishaverse novels coming out.
While the Ninth House’s second book, Hell Bent, only launches on 10 January 2023. And you’d expect Bardugo to want to wait for that one before actually committing too much to the TV show.
So an educated guess would be Hell Bent release date + about 16-18 months. So we could see the Ninth House TV show perhaps around mid-to-late 2024. And, with a pilot confirmed in February 2023, that timeline still seems plausible, since you might have some changes beyond the pilot but not many for a show whose studio (Amazon) has already committed to production.
It’s just conjecture, though.
About the Ninth House Book Series and Sequel
The Ninth House TV show is based on the Ninth House book (8 October 2019), the first in the series by the same name. It’s an adult/new adult urban fantasy.
Ninth House Book 1
Genre Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Adult, Horror
Author Leigh Bardugo | Home born Jerusalem, Israel; lives US
Publisher Flatiron Books | Buy it
Hell Bent (Ninth House Book 2)
Billed as one of Amazon’s most recommended new books of 2023, the second instalment in Bardugo’s Alex Stern series sees Alex hellbent on breaking Darlington out of purgatory. But she must assemble a rogue squad of dubious allies to do it. And when university faculty members start to die off, though, she realises there’s more to this than meets the eye.
Genre Fantasy, Adult, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Thriller, Horror, New Adult
Author Leigh Bardugo | Home born Jerusalem, Israel; lives US
Publisher Flatiron Books | Buy it
What People are Saying About the Ninth House TV Show on Amazon
“i am so excited to see the ninth house adaptation it’ll make such a good show”
– @goodvibecherries, TikTok
“I didn’t know that we’re getting a ninth house that show!!! Oh my god we just keep winning!”
– @prethula, TikTok
“She seems so nice”
– @leahhtay, TikTok
“SHE AND HOLLY BLACK ARE FRIENDS?!?”
– @jude.greenbriar, TikTok
“She’s so pretty”
– @livingl4vishly, TikTok
Note: I try my best to get every bit of info I can, and will keep updating this page all the time. If you know of any info that should be on this page, let me know at elvorne@scifixfantasy.com and I’ll make it happen.
About Sci-fi X Fantasy
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There’s a bit to explore ready, and more coming soon. Enjoy!
Image of Leigh Bardugo: By Leigh Bardugo – Copyright owner by assignment; submitted on behalf of Leigh Bardugo, copyright holder, CC BY-SA 4.0
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