No surprise here: more episodes of “Shōgun” are on the way. FX and streaming partner Hulu announced yesterday that they’ll renew their hit limited series for two more seasons. Star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada also returns, as do co-creators, writers, and executive producers Justin Marks and Rachel Condo, as well as EP Michaela Clavell. And “Shōgun” author James Clavell also returns to develop both upcoming seasons, too; so creatively speaking, everyone is back, which is good news for the show’s fans.
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However, it’s unclear exactly what direction “Shōgun” will take moving forward. A writers’ room starts work on the new seasons this summer, but FX and Hulu didn’t confirm if upcoming episodes will continue in the “Shōgun” universe or use other books in Clavell’s Asian Saga as inspiration. Also unknown right now is when the new episodes will start shooting or how many episodes each new season will be. Given the success of “Shōgun” Season 1’s ten episodes, it makes sense that the show will continue in that format, but that’s pure speculation. As for when the new seasons arrive, who knows? FX and Hulu provided no start date for production.
But news of more “Shōgun” brings a bit of intrigue: the first huge TV hit of 2024 now moves from limited to drama series categories for next year’s Emmy Awards. Does that help or hurt the show’s changes to make a big splash at the ceremony? That’s still a long way off, so it’s hard to make any predictions. Still, after the show’s success, how could FX not move forward with more episodes? “Shōgun” hit 9 million views globally less than a week after it premiered, and two months later, it became FX’s most-watched show ever based on global hours streamed. This show is a massive hit, which it arguably needed to be after six years of development made it FX’s most expensive series ever. It’s time for the network to capitalize on the show’s success, even if it loses a couple of Emmys in the process.
Set in 1600 in Japan, “Shōgun” starts at the start of a civil war that will define the country over the next century. As Lord Yoshii Toranaga battles his enemies on the Council of Regents, a mysterious European ship maroons in a nearby fishing village. On board, an English sailor, John Blackthorne, carries secrets about Portuguese merchants and Jesuit priests that could help Toranaga tip power in his favor. However, the success of Toaranaga and Blackthorne’s plan hinges on Toda Mariko, a translator and Christian who’s part of a disgraced lineage. Will the three unlikely partners successfully navigate the fraught political landscape they inhabit?
“Shōgun” stars Hiroyuki Sanada as Toranaga, Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne, and Anna Sawai as Mariko. Other cast include Tadanobu Asano, Hiroto Kanai, Takehiro Hira, Moeka Hoshi, Tokuma Nishioka, Shinnosuke Abe, Yuki Kura, Yuka Kouri, and Fumi Nikaido. Directors on Season 1 include Jonathan van Tulleken, Charlotte Brändström, Frederick E.O. Toye, Hiromi Kamata, Takeshi Fukunaga, and Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour.
Stay tuned for news about when the new seasons of “Shōgun” start shooting, but it’s safe to assume that new episodes won’t premiere on FX On Hulu until mid-late 2025 at the earliest.