There is a behind the scenes shakeup on Freeform’s fantasy series Shadowhunters. Ed Decter, who developed for television the adaptation of The Mortal Instruments novels and served as executive producer in Season 1, has abruptly exited the series, which was renewed for a second season in March. There is no replacement yet.

Ed Decter 'Shadowhunters'
Rex/Shutterstock

I hear Decter departed a few days ago and was not present at today’s first table read for Shadowhunters‘ second season. I hear the departure was over creative differences, and the new showrunner(s) are expected to tweak the series’ creative direction for Season 2. In the meanwhile, production is expected to continue as scheduled, with no impact from Decter’s exit.

The development was unexpected. At the time of Shadowhunters Season 1 finale in April, Decter spoke at length about his Season 2 plans for the show in a number of interviews.

Shadowhunters has been a buzzy show for Freeform, recently winning two Teen Choice Awards. After a highly-rated series premiere, there was a ratings dropoff but the series quickly stabilized and was relatively steady for most of its freshman run.