Summary
HowShogunseasons 2 and 3 could work despite passing the original book is explained by two of the show’s editors. James Clavell’s bestselling 1975 novel formed the basis for FX’s acclaimed TV series set in feudal Japan, and starring Hiroyuki Sanada as the powerful nobleman Lord Toranaga. FX has announced that Sanada will be back forShogunseason 2, but has yet to unveil any story details, or reveal what other characters may return. Given thatShogunseason 1 exhausted all of Clavell’s novel, there are questions as to where the story will now go.
Though they are not members ofShogun’s writing team, Emmy-nominated editors Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake were able to address the matter of future story when they spoke exclusively toScreen Rant. They revealed the existence of an extensive show Bible steeped in Japanese history, while expressing optimism about the series’ future, as showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks lead the way into seasons 2 and 3. Check out their remarks below:
Maria Gonzales: I mean, we’re not in the writers room, so we know that the writers room is open, and they’re actively working on season 2. We also know from the first season that Caillin Puente, who was part of Justin’s team, wrote this Bible, a 900-page Bible, that was steeped in Japanese history, and it was kind of used as the Bible on set for all the different rules of the time, be it costumes, or how people of different ranks regarded each other in public settings. Everything was in this book, and there was a lot of actual history in it, as well. So, undeniably, Japan has a rich history, I think a lot of what’s coming is going to be rooted in that. Even though we don’t have a book. [Chuckles]
Aika Miyake: I’m really excited to be able to showcase more of Japanese culture. I was never like a history kid, who loved reading about history, when I was young. But even still, I’m really intrigued about learning more. The good thing about Japan is there are still a lot of places that you may visit, even where Blackthorne has a house in Tokyo, there’s a monument. I’m super excited to be able to showcase the history of it, and also dig into what really happened, and also, maybe in the future, I’ll have to visit and travel and find out, “Oh, this person was here and there.” And Mariko, the person who she’s based on, she actually existed, and her story is even more heart-wrenching, in a way. As a woman, it’s really inspiring, and I would love to visit the temple dedicated to her, like, she has a statue and monuments and stuff. But, yeah, I’m like really super excited to be able to — nothing is official right now, but I’d love to be part of that.
Maria Gonzales: Yeah, we don’t really know, we have no inside knowledge, really. And honestly, when we heard that there was a second season, possibly a third season — I guess they’re both tentative — my initial reaction was like, “What? How are we going to do that? No Yabu, no Mariko. Some of my favorite characters are gone. Like what, who, why, what is this going to look like?” So, I would love it if some of those characters would come back in some form or another. But that’s for the writers to figure out, if, at all, they’re thinking that way.
Why Leaving Clavell Behind Can Be To Shogun’s Advantage
ThoughShogunseason 1largely followed the story laid out in the original novel, the show did deviate from the Clavell blueprint in several big ways. The show’s most significant change was to split from Clavell’s point-of-view, focusing less on John Blackthorne as an audience surrogate character, and delving more into the book’s Japanese characters, without imposing a Western perspective on their actions. This switch opened things up in major ways, allowing for more complex and interesting storytelling than would have been possible had everything been filtered throughBlackthorne.
Gonzales and Miyake’s comments emphasize how thorough Kondo, Marks and their fellow producers and writers were in developing a blueprint forShogun, one that went beyond Clavell’s novel. With their expansive Bible in hand, the showrunners are now completely free of Clavell’s Western-centric POV on feudal Japan, and can let their own imaginations run wild in the world they’ve established.
FX chief John Landgraf revealed thatShogunseason 2 will likely begin production in early 2025
Such freedom does cut both ways, however. While free from certain constraints imposed upon them by the source material, writers now have the responsibility to move the characters forward, and continue the show’s nuanced storytelling with no help from Clavell. It’s yet to be seen ifShogunwill prove up to the challenge of duplicating season 1’s success, but the future is indeed wide open.
Shogun
Cast
Shōgun, released in 2024, is set in Japan during 1600 at the onset of a significant civil war. It follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he battles political adversaries on the Council of Regents, while a European ship mysteriously appears in a nearby fishing village, complicating the tides of power.
