FX has revealed the first details for "Shōgun" season 2 — so prepare for a return trip to feudal Japan.
"Shōgun" was originally billed as a one-season limited series, but after winning every TV award on the planet, accumulating near-universal critical acclaim and inciting a massive fan response, the network is officially moving forward with not just a second season but possibly a third as well.
Now, new details have emerged about "Shōgun" season 2, including a production start date and confirmation of the returns of Emmy winner Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis as English sailor John Blackthorne. Additionally, "Shōgun" season 2 will see a big time jump that will expand the sweeping historical drama in bold new directions.
Moving into a new 'Shōgun' era
The most intriguing news is that "Shōgun" will make a significant leap forward in time — 10 years after the events of the first season.
It marks the beginning of a new era for Toranaga and Blackthorne, one that moves beyond the bounds of James Clavell’s novel while still rooted in the world he created.
FX describes the new "Shōgun" season 2 as “a wholly original new chapter" that continues to explore the complicated bond between two men from very different worlds.
With no direct sequel in Clavell’s Asian Saga books that follows these characters, series creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo had to build season 2 from scratch. They’ve previously discussed the challenges of creating a new story without a preexisting roadmap, but they’ve also said they turned back to the original novel, drawing on elements that didn’t make it into the first season.
Production begins in January — so when will the show air?
Production on "Shōgun" is scheduled to kick off in January 2026, once again in Vancouver, which is where the acclaimed first season was filmed.
While the original plan for the first season involved shooting in Japan to enhance authenticity, filming moved to Canada due to scheduling and logistical constraints.
Back in September 2024, series star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada teased the possibility of relocating to Japan for season 2, but FX chairman John Landgraf later tempered those expectations, pointing to significant challenges with production capacity in Japan.
“We’ve had trouble matching the location and the scale of what we’re capable of achieving there, with the scale of the ambition of the show," Landgraf told Deadline. "Unfortunately, medieval Japan, the castles are not around in their prior form and frankly, if they were, you wouldn’t be able to shoot there anyway.”
So, production will continue in Vancouver for now. With a start date of January, when can fans expect to see "Shōgun" season 2 premiere?
The first season took nine months to shoot, ending in June 2022. Nearly 20 months elapsed until the show's premiere in February 2024.
If the second season roughly follows that schedule, "Shōgun" season 2 might premiere sometime in September 2027.
'Shōgun' season 3 update
"Shōgun" season 2 and season 3 will not be filmed back-to-back as some fans have theorized (and hoped). FX has not officially given a third season the green light.
"I don’t know that we’re certain there will be three seasons,” Landgraf said in the same Deadline interview. “But in really looking at the characters and the history that’s being depicted here, albeit in a fictionalized manner, it still feels to us like three is the right number of seasons to really do it justice."
Still, even if "Shōgun" season 3 isn't guaranteed yet, it seems very likely to happen. The show was a massive hit for FX, becoming the most-watched show in the network’s history.
Then, there's "Shōgun's" massive critical acclaim. The show took home 18 Emmy wins, setting a new record as the most awarded single season of television in Emmy history. Those wins included Outstanding Drama, Actor for Sanada and Actress for Anna Sawai.
Given the show’s success, it’s clear that there's strong demand for more and a third season seems like a natural next step.
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