In honor of the anticipated Shōgun finale, you might be wondering whether there will be a Season 2 of Shōgun. Read on to learn about the fate of the new hit series, including what the showrunners and stars have said about the chance of a second run.
FX Network’s Shōgun is a historical drama based on the bestselling novel by author James Clavell. A fictionalized version of history, the book was also adapted into the 1980 miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain. Shōgun is set at the end of the Sengoku Period (1467-1600) during the dawn of a looming civil war in feudal Japan.
Shōgun follows John Blackthorne (played by Cosmo Jarvis), an English navigator stranded in Japan who becomes entangled in the intricate political landscape of the region. Also at the center of the period drama is Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), the Lord of the Kanto region and one of the most powerful members of the Council of Regents. Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Yuki Kura, Fumi Nikaido, Yuka Kouri, Tommy Bastow and more star.
After nine captivating episodes, Shōgun is gearing up for an epic season finale airing on April 23, 2024. Without revealing spoilers, the series released a trailer giving viewers a sneak peek into how Season 1 will end, which you can watch below.
Shōgun was the most-streamed TV premiere for an FX-developed show and has been compared to award-winning dramas like Game of Thrones, Succession, and House of Cards. Here’s what to know about the fate of the successful series moving forward — directly from the showrunners and stars.
Will There Be A Shōgun Season 2 On FX And Hulu?
FX has not yet renewed Shōgun for a second season. Despite the show’s massive success, it will likely not receive a Season 2 renewal. Co-creator and showrunner Justin Marks told The Direct in February that Season 1 concludes “exactly where the book ends.”
“I think we tell the complete story of the book. And we get to the end. I hope those who have read the book will see it’s exactly where the book ends,” Marks explained. “And we’re really excited about that because it’s a very surprising ending that [James] Clavell does for the book. And it’s kind of beautifully ambiguous in certain senses. But you know, that’s the stories we tell it. I will also say it took us five years. This show is older than both of our children. You know, it’s a lot.”
Marks echoed a similar statement about Season 2 in a March interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “We took the story to the end of the book and put a period at the end of that sentence,” he said. “We love how the book ends; it was one of the reasons why we both knew we wanted to do it — and we ended in exactly that place.”
He added that Shōgun is not like a “normal TV series, where if we were in a situation like this promoting it, we wouldn’t just be in the writers room already, we’d be on set shooting season two by now.”
Regardless of whether Season 2 happens, co-creator and EP Rachel Kondo hopes Shōgun inspires audiences to delve into Japanese history. “But I will quote one of our lead actors, Cosmo Jarvis, who said the other night that he hopes that this production will kind of be a catalyst for audiences to encounter Japanese history in a new way. Because there’s a lot of it,” she told The Direct.
Cosmo Jarvis, who stars as John Blackthorne in the series, reiterated that “the narrative substance of the book has been used up.” When co-star Anna Sawai pointed out how James Clavell has authored other books, Jarvis clarified how “they’re not related” to the events of Shōgun, according to The Direct.
However, executive producer Michaela Clavell, the daughter of Shōgun’s author James Clavell, had a more hopeful response to a potential second season. “You know, the audience will let us know whether there’s, there is their appetite for that. We shall see. It’s a great question. I wish I knew the complete answer, but I don’t,” she told the site.
Stay tuned to learn updates about Shōgun Season 2.
When is the Shōgun Season 1 Finale?
The Shōgun Season 1 finale, “A Dream of a Dream,” will air on April 23, 2024, at 12:01 a.m. ET/PT on Hulu and 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
“In the wake of a tragic death, Blackthorne finally considers the true nature of Toranaga’s plan,” the episode’s synopsis reads.
Shōgun is streaming on Hulu.