Shogun season two officially confirmed as cast and production dates announced

FX’s Emmy-winning drama series Shōgun has confirmed key production and cast details for its highly anticipated second season.

The big-budget samurai show became one of 2024’s most-watched programmes, with particular praise heaped upon its lead stars Hiroyuki Sanada, 64, and Anna Sawai, 32.

Upon its release, creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks said Shōgun – an adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel – was designed as a limited series, meaning it would not be continuing beyond its 10 episodes.

To the delight of fans, though, this decision has been reversed and production for season two of the show is set to start in Vancouver in January 2026.

The U-turn has been largely credited to the series’ history-making win of 18 Emmy awards. Meanwhile, Sanada pledged he would reprise his role as Lord Yoshii Toranaga should the show be renewed.

Cosmo Jarvis, 35, who plays English pilot John Blackthorne, is confirmed to be returning to the Shōgun cast alongside Sanada. Both stars will also act as executive producers on season two of the show.

Shōgun’s second instalment will be set 10 years on from season one and will be a “wholly original new chapter” away from Clavell’s novel, co-creators Kondo and Marks have said.

Season one saw Lord Toranaga meet John Blackthorne after his European ship became marooned in a nearby village during a Japanese civil war.

FX said the second series “continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined,” per Deadline.

Last September, FX chairman John Landgraf told the publication that – regardless of viewer appetite – there are no plans to film season two and season three of back to back in January.

“I don’t know that we’re certain there will [be] three seasons,” he revealed.

“But in really looking at the characters in 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.”

Some Shōgun fans have remained skeptical about the need for a second season of the show. “Conflicted… #Shogun DOES NOT need a second season! It was a PERFECT 10 episode limited series. A masterpiece,” one person wrote on X/Twitter after Sanada pledged to return last year.

An additional fan stated: “Should just leave it as a limited series, continuing will take away the compliment on how good it really was.”