Like a cinematic example of the tree that falls in a forest when no one is around to hear it, 2013’s The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones wasn’t exactly the next Twilight. An adaptation of a popular series of YA books, the film was like a Greatest Hits collection of things that teenagers like, right down to the young person who finds out she’s connected to a secret magical world, a supernatural romance, and a mythology that seems impenetrable to people who haven’t read every book (ever, not just the ones in this series). Going back to the tree metaphor, though, it seems like The Mortal Instruments did make a sound, and ABC Family liked what it heard.
According to Deadline, the network is developing a spinoff/reboot of the Mortal Instruments world with Shadowhunters, a new hour-long drama series. We first reported on the possibility of a Mortal Instruments show back in October, when Constantin Films decided to take the series to another entertainment medium when talk of a sequel to City Of Bones ended after everyone involved realized that the movie barely made its money back. Deadline says Shadowhunters will adapt the City Of Bones book first, and then move on to others in the series if the show continues. It’s the same strategy Game Of Thrones uses, so this show will probably similarly successful.