Shōgun season 2 looks very likely, after its big star signs on for more episodes

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Hiroyuki Sanada, the star and producer of Shōgun, has reportedly signed on for a second season of the epic drama: according to Deadline, his signature was “considered crucial” to the future of the show. But while a Shōgun season 2 appears to be all but confirmed for FX (and so for streaming on Hulu in the US, and Disney Plus worldwide), that doesn’t mean it’ll arrive any time soon. According to the same report, Emmy considerations could affect the timing.

The considerations are whether Shōgun should be entered for Emmy consideration as a limited series or a drama series. The former is a particularly crowded field this year with lots and lots of limited series, which are intended to be stand-alone one-offs, in competition. And because of that focus, the drama category is much less competitive.

For Shōgun, that means timing is crucial here. It’s considered to be a lead contender in the limited series category, but it’s up against a lot of competition. If it moves into the drama category instead, which is unusually sparse at the moment, the odds of it taking home an Emmy – with all the publicity and subsequent extra eyeballs that entails – are considerably higher.

Is a second Shōgun series certain?

Not yet, but it seems highly likely. However, if it happens it’s not imminent: according to the report, “other elements are still being worked out and deals are being finalized”. Shōgun doesn’t need to start filming to change its Emmy category, but the decision needs to be made in order for the Emmy submission for season one to be filed. “Not all pieces are in place for that,” Deadline reports.

The first season was a self-contained story with a long arc, following Sanada’s character Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he journeyed to become Shōgun and usher in a new era of peace. And it took some six years to make, coming in as FX’s most expensive series to date.

The show certainly lived up to FX’s hopes of being a big success, racking up 9M views globally in its first six days on Hulu and Disney Plus, and as Deadline says, FX wants to “capitalize on its investment recreating 17th century Japan in Canada where Shōgun was filmed.”

Here’s hoping that a second season not only goes ahead but retains the quality of the first: as we said in our Shōgun review, it’s “an entertaining and enthralling slice of prestige TV”, and ranks among the best Hulu shows and best Disney Plus shows to arrive this year.

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