Summary

  • Shōgun Season 2 and 3 were geenlit by the studio after initial success.
  • Producers Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo revealed the writer's room for the show is close to completion.
  • Uncertainty remains on the plot and direction of the series.

Shōgun was one of the biggest breakout hits of 2024 thanks to a gripping and compelling narrative with authentic casting and storytelling. While originally intended to be a limited series, the second season of Shōgun was greenlit in 2024 and it appears to be moving forward quickly.

The initial season of Shōgun covered the entirety of the book on which it was based (James Clavell’s novel of the same name which was released in 1975). The FX and Hulu series was marketed as something akin to a Game of Thrones-esque high-stakes political thriller set in feudal Japan. The series delivered on that promise and then some, earning FX multiple major wins at the Emmy Awards and Golden Globes. Given the success of Shōgun it was no surprise that the network was keen on making more, but with no more of the book to cover it remains uncertain what direction Shogun will go in another season.

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Producers Provide Update on Shōgun Season 2

FX announced that the second and third season of Shōgun were greenlit in May 2024, shortly after the series released its final episode on April 23. Producers Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks provided an update on the development of Shōgun Season 2 to Variety at the Golden Globe Awards, revealing the writer’s room is close to finishing up its work on the next batch of episodes. “We’re about six weeks from the end of the writers room,” Marks said. The duo declined to provide any further plot details.

We’re about six weeks from the end of the writers room.

All that’s confirmed about the next seasons of Shōgun is that Marks and Kondo are returning as executive producers and that star Hiroyuki Sanada closed a deal to return as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in future episodes. The first season follows Toranaga as he fights to stay alive when his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. At his side are two allies: his translator, Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai), and an English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis).

Could Shogun Season 2 and 3 Adapt James Clavell's Other Novels?

It’s also believed that the new seasons of Shōgun are being worked on in collaboration with Clavell’s estate. Clavell wrote several other novels in his Asian Saga which could be drawn upon for future seasons of the show. Shōgun was Clavell’s third novel, but chronologically it takes place earliest in the timeline. This means the next seasons of Shōgun could adapt King Rat, Tai-Pan, or Gai-Jin for the screen. However, Sanada’s return as Lord Toranaga may suggest Season 2 will be a continuation of the story set out in Shōgun's first season.

With the writers’ room close to completion and Shōgun's recent awards success, there’s no doubt that FX will want to move quickly into production on the new season. Hopefully, that also means that further plot and casting details will become available soon.

Shogun is available to watch on Hulu.

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Your Rating

Shogun
TV-MA
Adventure
Drama
History
War & Politics
Release Date
2024 - 2025

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming
Network
FX, Hulu
Cast
Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Tommy Bastow, Fumi Nikaido, Nestor Carbonell, Tokuma Nishioka, Hiroto Kanai, Yasunari Takeshima, Moeka Hoshi, Yuki Kura, Ned Dennehy, Ako, Hiromoto Ida, Toshi Toda, Takeshi Kurokawa, Yuka Kouri, Hiro Kanagawa, Paul Moniz de Sa, Jared Ager-Foster, Kaiden Berge, Dakota Daulby, Manami Hara
Directors
Fred Toye, Jonathan van Tulleken, Charlotte Br?ndstr?m, Takeshi Fukunaga, Hiromi Kamata
Writers
Rachel Kondo
Seasons
1
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu
Creator(s)
Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
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