Could 'Shogun' season 2 arrive earlier than expected? 'We're rushing it to screen' says showrunner

"Shogun" season 2 won't start filming until 2026, according to FX's official release about the historical epic set in feudal Japan. But in a shocking twist, we might also get episodes later that same year.

At least, that seems to be the case based on the latest comments from co-showrunner Justin Marks.

"We start shooting in January," Marks told RadioTimes at the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards. "Which is not enough time to get what we need to get off the ground, so we're rushing it to screen. It's a lot less time to make the show this time around than we had in the first season."

For context, "Shogun" took nine months to film the first time around, though it was rumored to have taken two months longer than expected. So, rushing it means probably a seven-month shoot or shorter, or perhaps rushing post-production so that it's occurring more concurrently with filming.

This sounds like the show is aiming for a 2026 rather than a 2027 release date. It also runs counter to what Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden said back in March about not releasing season 2 "until it’s ready.”

Given that either a late 2026 or early 2027 release would have the show firmly in the window for the 79th Emmy Awards — which presumably will have a cutoff date of May 31, 2027 — I'm not quite sure what the rush is, unless currently the schedule has them projected to miss that cutoff date.

I just hope that if this is being rushed to the screen, it is with no expense spared to ensure there is no dip in quality. Season 1's exquisite production values are a big part of what made it such a success, and losing that in season 2 would be a major blow.

Here's what we know about season 2 so far

I recommend you check out our full season 2 hub for everything you need to know about the next season of "Shogun." But here's a brief recap of what we know so far.

First, we know that season 2 will feature a 10-year time jump, and so far is only bringing back Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne.

It's been suggested that other season 1 characters will return as well, but expect a lot of new faces.

In terms of production, Marks told RadioTimes at the BAFTA TV awards that the production will begin in Vancouver soon. "In fact, I'm going in two weeks to scout out our first locations," he clarified.

Then shooting will begin in January 2026, and our best guess is that episodes will arrive on FX in late 2026 or early 2027.

Savor those episodes, though, because FX chairman John Landgraf has suggested there might not be a season 3.

Malcolm McMillan

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

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