Breaking: 2024’s Top-Rated Series with 4.3 Score Gets Fantastic News! Must Read!

UPDATE: FX and Disney+ have confirmed that the creative teams are actively working on a sequel: “The plot and characters of this dramatic series will likely lead to two additional seasons” they have announced. So, while nothing is official yet, there is a high possibility that Shogun will return to our screens.

According to Deadline, Hiroyuki Sanada, the star and producer of FX’s mini-series Shōgun, has made a deal to return as Lord Yoshii Toranaga for a potential second season of the limited series. Indeed, due to its significant commercial and critical success – and to compete in a different Emmys category – Shōgun might indeed continue. The involvement of Hiroyuki Sanada is considered crucial for any plans to extend Shōgun beyond its original installment.

While other agreements are being finalized, the result of this effort would determine if the series, rated 4.3 out of 5 by AlloCiné viewers, would transition from a limited series to a long-format dramatic series, which could have major implications for the 2024 Emmys race.

Partly due to strikes, which have delayed the new seasons of ongoing series and have led TV networks and streaming platforms to heavily rely on limited series, the category of traditional format drama series is lighter than usual this year. On the other hand, in the limited series and anthology category, where Shōgun is one of the main contenders, the competition is one of the toughest in Emmys history.

Although there are precedents, such as the first season of True Detective competing as a drama series instead of a limited series or anthology – which was corrected for its subsequent seasons –, the majority of limited series are submitted as such. If they later receive additional seasons, they move to the next category from their second season, as was the case with Downton Abbey, Big Little Lies, and The White Lotus.

Shōgun is therefore aiming to directly enter the drama series category, but a decision about its potential second installment must be made in time for it to be submitted as such for the Emmys before the deadline. Not all the elements are in place for this yet, according to Deadline sources, but the agreement with Sanada is a very good start.

When ambition pays off

Adapted into 10 episodes from James Clavell’s novel and told from the perspective of British hero John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), Shōgun follows the journey of a sailor who goes from being a foreigner to becoming a samurai, whose fate becomes intertwined with that of Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) who is trying to become a general, or shōgun, and lead Japan into a peaceful era.

In preparation for six years across several continents, Shōgun, created and written by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, is the most expensive series from FX to date. Prior to its debut, FX president, John Landgraf, stated that he hoped everything would go well so that he and his team could produce more large-scale, high-budget series in the future.

After receiving excellent reviews and solid performances, totaling 9 million views worldwide on Hulu, Disney+ and Star+ within its first six days, Shōgun became the company’s first international general entertainment series and the first FX series to debut on Disney’s streaming platforms. A new season could therefore extend this phenomenal success and allow FX to capitalize on its investment in recreating 17th-century Japan in Canada, where the show was filmed.

Veteran actor-producer Hiroyuki Sanada, whose prolific career spans decades, was recently seen in John Wick: Chapter 4, Bullet Train and Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. He will also reprise his role as Scorpion in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2.

All that remains is to hope that the green light will officially be given to this second season that could change everything – and delight fans in the process!

If you haven’t done so already, the (first?) season of Shōgun is a must-watch on Disney+.