At a recent Emmys For Your Consideration event for Shōgun, the creators and cast of the FX series hinted at exciting developments for the show’s future. The event, held to celebrate the success of season one, featured insights from co-creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, as well as stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, and Tadanobu Asano.
Following the announcement last month that Shōgun would expand into a second and third season, the creators revealed that the new seasons will go beyond James Clavell’s original book, which was fully covered in season one.
Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, who are married, have been planning the second season since December. Marks humorously noted they are currently at the “arguing” stage of development. Kondo added, “There’s a lot of chaos but creative chaos, where we’re throwing everything that we have at the wall, seeing what sticks. It’s been exciting and nerve-wracking because, obviously, this is uncharted territory — we don’t have a roadmap, we just have history.”
The couple recently traveled to Japan for research and to visit various locations, aiming to honor Clavell’s process of selecting events and characters. Kondo explained, “We’re trying to study his process of curation. How did he curate, which events, which characters, which characters can you conveniently combine — those sorts of things that kind of allow you to make something new.”
Marks emphasized their interest in historical conspiracy theories and hinted at a darker tone for the second season. “The third season is really an ending. We know where it starts, and we know where it ends, and we know who is there on that journey. We’re just focusing on part two right now to really make sure we can get to that point. But part two is, as second chapters go, kind of a darker chapter.”
Hiroyuki Sanada, both a producer and star of the series, highlighted the importance of maintaining the essence of Clavell’s storytelling. “We don’t have James Clavell’s novel anymore, but we learned his spirit and the taste of storytelling. All his DNA is in our bodies, I believe.” He stressed the importance of maintaining quality in the upcoming seasons.
Anna Sawai, whose character Lady Mariko died in the penultimate episode, discussed her future with the series. She expressed contentment with her character’s arc and was open to the idea of flashbacks but emphasized that it should feel natural. “I don’t want them to write something just to have her in it, like it feels a little forced. I’m happy. I just want to watch it as an audience. I was telling them I’m happy to go to set and like walk the dogs or be with the horses, that’s my next job.”
As Shōgun moves into its next chapters, fans can look forward to an expanded story that delves into new historical territories while maintaining the spirit and quality of Clavell’s original work.
