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Shōgun traces the power struggle between warring regents in 1600 feudal Japan, bringing James Clavell’s bestselling novel to life with a distinctly Japanese lens. Created by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, and produced by lead actor and all-around legend Hiroyuki Sanada, the series is steeped in history, tradition, and loads of extensive research. After airing its tenth episode on April 23, 2024, the historical drama came to an uncertain close.
The FX show was initially touted as a limited series long before its premiere in February 2024. But there’s plenty of precedent for shows to drop the “limited” label after debuting to immense success (which Shōgun certainly achieved). With that in mind, here’s everything we know about Shōgun’s future.
Has Shōgun been renewed for season 2?
Yes. In fact, the show has been renewed for two additional seasons. FX, Hulu, and the Estate of James Clavell are working together to extend the series beyond its initial limited run, they first announced on May 16, 2024. Co-creators and EPs Marks and Kondo, EP Michaela Clavell (James’ daughter), and stars and producers Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis will all return.
In April 2025, Variety reported that production is set to launch in January 2026, adding that Kondo and Marks had recently wrapped the writers’ room for season 2.
What will season 2 be about?
There’s not much we know about season 2’s storyline yet, apart from this tidbit: Per Variety, “The second season will take place 10 years after the events of the first.”
The season 1 finale clears the path for Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada) to claim the title of shogun thanks to Mariko (Anna Sawai)’s sacrifice, the real “crimson sky.” A flash-forward scene one month into the future shows Toranaga facing Ishido (Takehiro Hira) and the other regents on the battle field at Sekigahara. However, Lady Ochiba (Fumi Nikaido) has secretly pledged to keep the heir’s army from battle, meaning Ishido would have no banner to fight with and the regents would turn against him, solidifying Toranaga’s victory. Given the time jump that season 2 is set to take, audiences will likely get to see Toranaga as shogun.
Forbes notes that Clavell wrote six books in his “Asian Saga”: Aside from Shōgun, the five other books are set in different eras in Japan, Hong Kong, and Iran. Perhaps these could serve as source material for spinoffs, if the team decides to go that route.
Sanada gave a small tease to Esquire ahead of the 2025 Golden Globes, where Shōgun won the award for Best Drama Series. “We have real history, so we know what happens next,” he said of season 2. “But we don’t want to just follow the history. We’re trying to create original entertainment. There’s so many ideas coming, and we’re not just focused on season 2. Of course, we want a surprise for audiences. You can never guess what’s going to happen.”
Is season 2 filming yet?
Not just yet. In August 2024, The Hollywood Reporter asked Sanada about “future seasons,” and Sanada replied, “Hopefully sometime [in 2025], we can start shooting.”
The status hadn’t changed much by Golden Globes on January 5, 2025. On the red carpet, Sanada said the season 2 writers’ room was “working hard now. Maybe soon I can read the first draft.” When asked whether filming would commence in the spring, he replied, “Maybe a little later. We were focused on summer or fall, but it all depends on casting, staffing, location. So, we are working on it.”
Eventually, the official production timing was pushed to January 2026, as Variety reported. But if it ultimately means more Shōgun, we’ll wait as long as it takes.
This story will be updated.
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