‘Shōgun’ Season 2 Wraps Filming with a Decade-Long Time Jump Ahead
Few shows have made their mark on television history quite like ‘Shōgun‘ did in 2024. FX’s adaptation of James Clavell’s historical novel swept the Emmys with a record-breaking eighteen wins, including Outstanding Drama Series, making it the first mostly non-English-language series to claim that prestigious award.
This immense success created a unique challenge for the follow-up season, as the original series had already covered all of Clavell’s source material. With no more content to adapt, the creative team had to craft an original continuation from scratch, opting to jump the storyline forward by a full decade to allow for more creative freedom.
This week marked a significant milestone as production on the second season has officially concluded. Emmy-winning costume designer Carlos Rosario confirmed the news over the weekend, wrapping up a shoot that lasted around seven and a half months in Vancouver, the same city that hosted the acclaimed first season.
Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis are set to reprise their leading roles as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and John Blackthorne, respectively. Both actors have taken on larger behind-the-scenes roles this time, with Sanada serving as an executive producer and Jarvis as co-executive producer. Filming under the working title “Category 10,” the new season began shooting in late January and utilized sound stages at Burnaby’s Lake City Studios, an elaborate feudal Japan backlot in Port Moody, along with various locations across British Columbia, from Minaty Bay to Kamloops.
The production celebrated its completion with a wrap party at the Port Moody set in late August, featuring live music, drummers, a light show, and fireworks. Season two is expected to consist of ten episodes, continuing the saga of two men from vastly different worlds whose destinies remain intertwined a decade after the events that captivated viewers in the first season.
Joining Sanada and Jarvis in the returning cast are Fumi Nikaidô, Shinnosuke Abe, Hiroto Kanai, Yoriko Dôguchi, Tommy Bastow, Yuko Miyamoto, Eita Okuno, and Yuka Kouri, with J-pop star Ren Meguro joining in a new role. Several other new faces are also set to appear, although the show has remained tight-lipped about which characters most of them will portray, maintaining the same air of mystery that surrounded the casting of the first season prior to its premiere.
Due to the ten-year time jump, not every familiar face is expected to return. Anna Sawai’s Lady Mariko and Tadanobu Asano’s Yabushige both perished during the first season’s events, making their return in the new timeline unlikely, though ‘Shōgun’ has a history of surprising its audience.
Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai star in the first trailer for ‘SHŌGUN’.
Releasing in February on FX & Hulu. pic.twitter.com/rzwsSCGXgZ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 2, 2023
Season one concluded with Toranaga’s political victory beginning to take shape before the pivotal historical events were fully depicted, leaving his actual rise to power still ahead. The decade-long jump means season two won’t simply resume the same conflict, but will pick up well after Toranaga has had years to solidify whatever position he managed to claim.
With Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks continuing as executive producers and writers, the series has now moved into post-production. An official premiere date has yet to be announced, and given the high anticipation surrounding the follow-up, FX is likely to take its time ensuring the historic drama’s return is executed perfectly.
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