According to Deadline, FX has officially announced that its Emmy nominated series Shōgun is expanding beyond its initial limited run. The network, in partnership with streaming service Hulu, is developing two additional seasons of the historic drama, a move that underscores the series’ significant commercial and critical success.
The continuation of Shōgun was anticipated, particularly following the news that star-producer Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai, Jhon Wick: Chapyer Four, Bullet Train) had finalized a deal to reprise his role as Lord Yoshii Toranaga. Joining him in the renewed effort are co-creators, executive producers, and writers Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick, The Jungle Book, Counterpart) and Rachel Kondo (Shogun, Girl Of A Few Seasons), along with executive producer Michaela Clavell (The Last Valley, Octopussy, The Children’s Story). The creative team is collaborating with James Clavell (Pai-Tan, King Rat, Whirlwind), the original author of Shōgun, to develop the new seasons.
Even though there has been excitement surrounding the announcement, many aspects still have not been verified. There’s still no official go-ahead for the extra seasons, and there’s no word on when production will begin. Still, plans are in motion, with work in a writer’s room scheduled to begin this summer. According to Deadline, It’s still unknown if the upcoming seasons will take place entirely in the Shōgun universe or if they will also include aspects from previous Asian Saga books by Clavell.
The decision for extending Shōgun was made in response to its outstanding performance, according to Deadline. In its first six days, the 10-episode launch captured the attention of viewers, garnering 9 million views worldwide on Hulu, Disney+, and Star+. With such a high viewership, Shōgun became FX’s most popular general entertainment series worldwide. With consistent viewer interest, the series finished its first nine weeks as FX’s most-watched program ever.