‘Shōgun’ Season 2: Cosmo Jarvis and Hiroyuki Sanada Return as Production Begins In January

May 1, 2025: Los Angeles – FX has unveiled fresh details about the highly anticipated second season of its Emmy-winning historical drama Shōgun, confirming that production will begin in January in Vancouver, where the first season was filmed. The next chapter of the saga will be set 10 years after the events of Season 1, taking viewers deeper into the turbulent world of feudal Japan.

Cosmo Jarvis is officially returning as English pilot John Blackthorne, joining Hiroyuki Sanada, who reprises his role as the powerful and enigmatic Lord Yoshii Toranaga. Sanada, who also serves as a producer, will now be elevated to executive producer, while Jarvis joins the creative ranks as co-executive producer.

According to FX and Deadline, Season 2 will not directly adapt any other works from James Clavell’s Asian Saga—the literary series that inspired Shōgun—but will instead craft a wholly original story, deeply rooted in the world and characters introduced in the first season. Creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks revealed they drew inspiration from unused material in Clavell’s novel to help shape this new narrative arc.

“It still feels to us like three is the right number of seasons to really do it justice,” said FX chairman John Landgraf, while clarifying that a third season is not yet confirmed and there are no current plans to shoot Seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back.

The first season of Shōgun was lauded for its sweeping cinematography, nuanced storytelling, and faithful yet bold adaptation of Clavell’s classic. With its return, FX aims to build on that success with a story that explores the evolving destinies of Toranaga and Blackthorne in a world shaped by shifting alliances, legacy, and power.