‘Shōgun’ Season 2 Reveals First Plot Details & Sets Start of Filming

UPDATE (04/30/2025 at 10:45 a.m. ET): Shōgun Season 2 has set its start of filming. FX and Hulu announced on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, that production on the second season of the 18-time Emmy-winning drama will begin in January 2026 in Vancouver. Emmy winner Hiroyuki Sanada will return as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and has been bumped up to executive producer (he was a producer for Season 1). Cosmo Jarvis will also return as John Blackthorne and will serve as a co-executive producer.

Shōgun, the most-viewed program in FX history, is produced by FX Productions. Season 1 was an adaptation of the James Clavell novel of the same name. Season 2’s story is created entirely by the FX series’ writers room, led by series creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. The writers’ room recently wrapped work on Season 2, FX shares. The April 30 announcement also comes with the first plot details for Season 2.

In Shōgun Season 1, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) fought for his survival as his enemies in the Council of Regents united against him. When a mysterious European ship was found marooned in a nearby village, its English pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) shared vital strategic secrets with Toranaga that tipped the scales of power in his favor to win a century-defining civil war.

Part two of Shōgun is set 10 years after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.

A Season 2 premiere date will be announced at a later time.

ORIGINAL STORY (05/16/2024 at 3:30 p.m. ET): Theres’s no stopping Shōgun. FX and Hulu have confirmed that it’s working with the James Clavell estate to produce not just one, but two more seasons of its excellent period drama, with star Hiroyuki Sanada attached to return as Lord Yoshii Toranaga.

FX announced on Thursday, May 16 that Shōgun‘s key creative partners — including co-creators, executive producers, and writers Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, executive producer Michaela Clavell, and series star and producer Sanada — are on board for the development of future seasons. FX says the story and characters viewers met in Season 1 will “continue the saga that will likely yield two additional seasons of the drama series.” An exact production window has not been locked in, but a writers’ room is currently being assembled and will begin work this summer.

Shōgun‘s 10-episode first season is FX’s most-watched show ever based on global hours streamed, the network says.

Through its first nine weeks, Shōgun has become FX’s most-watched show ever based on global hours streamed.  All 10 episodes of Shōgun, which concluded on April 23, are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in all other territories.

Related

Hiroyuki Sanada Had One Take to Nail 'Shōgun's Biggest Scene

Shōgun is based on Clavell’s novel of the same name. Its first TV adaptation came out in 1980 on NBC and has long been considered one of the best TV miniseries of all time. The FX and Hulu adaptation was originally meant to be a limited series. Given that its plot covered the entirety of Clavell’s book, there was seemingly no more story left to explore. As Sanada told TV Insider following the April 23 finale, he had “no idea” if more seasons were possible, “but the novel is done.” The Clavell estate and the show’s creators clearly feel there’s more to story to tell.

FX’s Shōgun premiered on February 27 and concluded on April 23. Season 1 stars Sanada, Anna Sawai as Mariko, Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne, Tadanobu Asano as Yabushige, and more. There were some major character deaths throughout the season, most notably in the pivotal Episode 9 and the Episode 10 finale, but there are plenty of surviving characters who could make a return. For now, Sanada’s Toranaga is the only confirmed cast member attached to the additional seasons.

It was previously reported that Sanada had inked a deal to return to the series and that FX and Hulu are eyeing a Drama Series submission at this year’s Emmys rather than running in the limited series category.

Shōgun, Season 1 Available now, Hulu