Fueled by its record-breaking success, FX has greenlit new episodes of the critically acclaimed drama "Shogun." While the first season faithfully adapted James Clavell's classic novel, FX and Hulu have confirmed that they are developing new material for what will "likely" be two more seasons of the historical drama that was initially billed as a limited series.
This surprising return comes after "Shogun" shattered viewership records, becoming FX's most-watched show ever based on global hours streamed.
"Shogun" is streaming on Hulu
What will season 2 of 'Shogun' be about?
Though the entirety of the original "Shogun" novel was adapted in the first season, FX confirmed that it is working with author James Clavell's estate to develop material for additional seasons of the historical drama.
No specific plot details have been made available, but with star (and producer) Hiroyuki Sanada still attached to the project, it seems likely that Toranaga's story will continue in these subsequent seasons.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), executive producer and co-creator Justin Marks said that he had an idea for where the story could go in the future while season 1 was still in production, saying that he and partner Rachel Kondo had started "teasing out this idea [for new episodes] as it grew larger and larger [and] richer with real history."
Unfortunately, no firm details about the timing of the show’s return have been shared just yet. However, FX and Hulu's announcement did confirm that a writers’ room is being assembled this summer to begin mapping out what future seasons will look like, making a fall 2025 or early 2026 debut for season 2 seem like a safe bet.
Does 'Shogun' really need more seasons?
Viewers were generally happy with the ending of "Shogun" in which Toranaga unveiled his grand strategy for seizing the Shogunate. While the series doesn't depict his official rise to power, the audience learns how his cunning alliances have already secured victory, thus completing his character arc.
In an interview earlier this year with The Hollywood Reporter, co-creator Marks briefly discussed the difficulty of extending the series, saying "How do you even equal the roadmap that Clavell laid out... I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t know if Clavell could have done it either. That’s probably why he moved on to other books too, right? He knew what he had done."
While creating a worthy follow-up to the near-perfect first season will be challenging, the rich tapestry of Japanese history does offer some enticing narrative possibilities as real-life events like the Battle of Sekigahara and the Siege of Osaka provide fertile ground for further character development and exploration.
Marks and Kondo face a significant challenge in creating these new chapters, but their past success suggests they're well-equipped to navigate this trip into uncharted territory. With any luck, the upcoming "Shogun" seasons will continue to build upon this captivating world and deliver a thrilling experience for viewers.
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