Report: Shogun Season 2 Is Happening With Hiroyuki Sanada Returning

Shogun Season 2 is in the works, a new report from Deadline says, with the show’s star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada returning as Yoshii Toranaga. Deadline’s sources familiar with the matter say parties involved have reached no permanent deals for the FX series’ next season, as “other elements are still being worked out” and the deal’s timing could influence what category Shogun ends up in for the 2024 Emmy awards.

Related: Shogun Episode 7 Recap: Toranaga’s Play

Adapting James Clavell’s novel for FX took six years, a period that also included the months-long writers strike. Like many series developed during the strike, FX opted to make release Shogun as a limited series, partly out of caution, not knowing how well audiences would receive the show, and partly owing to the general uncertainty in the industry at that time.

Deadline says the same was true for most television dramas, as the lack of writers drove producers to delay announcing further seasons. The result is a packed field of potential nominations for limited dramas and rather fewer contenders for this year’s best drama series.

Deadline’s sources say that FX hopes to finalize a deal for Shogun Season 2 in enough time to make the period piece eligible for a best drama nomination, though several unnamed pieces are reportedly not yet in place.

Shogun’s first season attracted approximately 9 million viewers across three platforms – Disney+, Hulu, and Star+, in just its first six days – good news for FX, since, Deadline says, it was the studio’s most expensive series to date.

Related: Who Won at the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards?: The Bear and Succession Continue To Dominate