Producers and cast of the upcoming FX show, Shogunoffered their thoughts on whether the show might get a second season.
The series revolves around the story of Lord Yoshio Toranaga, whose battle against the Council of Rulers turns into a vicious circle after the sudden arrival of the English sailor John Blackthorne.
The story is based on a book by James Clavell of the same title. Although the show covers it all, it's hard to imagine that fans won't want more when the show ends.
Shogun cast and crew for potential Shogun season 2
While speaking exclusively with The Direct's Ross Millheim about the cast and crew of the upcoming FX series Shogun The series has reflected on whether or not a second season could be in the cards.
Co-creator and showrunner Justin Marks quickly explains how the show ended “Exactly where the book ends:”
“I think we're telling the full story of the book. And we're getting to the end. I hope those who read the book will see exactly where the book ends. And we're really excited about that because it's a very surprising ending that… [James] Clavell does for the book. It's a beautifully mysterious genre in some ways. But you know, these are the stories we tell. I will also say that it took us five years. This show is bigger than both of our kids. “You know, it's a lot.”
Season 2 or not, co-creator and executive producer Rachel Kondo expressed hope Shogun It will, at the very least, “Be an incentive for fans to learn about Japanese history in a new way:”
“But I'll quote one of our lead actors, Cosmo Jarvis, who said one night that he hoped this production would be an incentive for audiences to learn about Japanese history in a new way. Because there's a lot of it.”
Marks added that he would love the project too “To inspire new curiosity” Which leads to more “Movies, TV and video games” In the same narrative space:
“And I think about the movies I grew up on, The Jidaigeki (a genre in Japanese media that mainly focuses on historical dramas)… I would love for this in the United States to inspire a new curiosity… that would drive more movies, TV, and gaming.” Video, this space is going to be amazing.”
Cosmo Jarvis, who plays John Blackthorne, endorsed similar sentiments as Marks and Kondo, repeating that “The narrative material of the book has been exhausted.”
When star Anna Sawai pointed out how James Clavell had written other books, Jarvis pointed out how “They are not related” To events Shogun.
As for the setting and the era in general, both stars were confident that if FX wanted to do more storytelling in this time frame, Jarvis said, “There is a vast expanse of history, full of dramatic potential.”
Executive producer Michaela Clavell, daughter ShogunThe original author had a more optimistic answer about the possibility of a second season:
“You know, the public will tell us whether there's an appetite for it. We'll see. It's a great question. I wish I knew the full answer, but I don't.”
As for the one season fans are excited about, Clavell continued to praise “Incredible research” which entered into force Shogun Amazing and authentic as is:
“Okay, Justin [Marks]From the beginning Justin and Rachel [Kondo] He conducted incredible research, employing experts from all over the world, to provide them with the details needed to do justice to the history of that time. And [Hiroyuki Sanada] He was a big part of that, as a producer and also an expert in that period. He brought an amazing layer of authenticity to the production, as did the costume experts and etiquette experts. “It was intentional and well thought out from the beginning that they were going to make a tremendous effort to make this period of time real.”
She also revealed that the coronavirus, oddly enough, helped make the series what it is today:
“Coronavirus, in a way, played a role in us being able to do it because it gave us extra time. There was a delay in the shooting schedule, of course, as there is for everyone who was shooting at the time. And I think at that time Justin and Rachel and everyone have taken advantage of that to enhance the level of detail that goes into this production and we've been given that gift in a very strange package called Covid but a tremendous amount of expertise has gone into the pre-production, pre-production of this show, and I think it shows.”
The full interview with executive producer Michaela Clavell can be viewed below:
Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo's conversation with The Direct can be watched here:
Full conversation with Anna Sawai and Cosmo Jarvis Will be available soon.
Season 2 or another James Clavell adaptation?
While the series depicts all the original events Shogun writers, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for FX to continue with these characters in the original story.
Plenty of projects have outgrown their source material before, like HBO leftovers And game of thrones.
At the same time, it might make more sense to simply edit another entry by James Clavell Asian epic, which includes five other novels. However, it is worth noting that Shogun It's the only one set in the 17th century, so moving on from that also means leaving its captivating era behind.
To get an idea of the other eras explored by the author, Tai Pan The events take place in Hong Kong in 1841. King Mice Located in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II whirlwind He tells his story in 1979 Iran.
Shogun It begins airing on FX on Tuesday, February 27.
