The FX limited series Shogun ended on April 23, and fans of the ten-episode drama are clamoring for a second go-round; however, that’s not likely to happen, according to showrunner Justin Marks and writer Rachel Kondo.
This is because the series was based on the novel of the same name by the late James Clavell, who didn’t write a sequel. Set in 17th-century feudal Japan, it tells the story of shipwrecked English navigator John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) who spends the rest of his days in the country. Blackthorne’s character was based on the real-life William Adams who, in 1600, became the first Englishman to reach Japan and became a key advisor to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Despite Clavell’s other works having minor ties to Shogun (The Asian Saga), the novel concludes the story of Blackthorne and his relationships with the main players. That said, producer and co-star, Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick 4, Mortal Kombat, Westworld) who plays the powerful busho Yoshii Toranaga, feels that while there is a history within the book, and “real history models,” a second entry or related series “depends on the audience’s reaction,” which as we know has been very positive.
