After officially announcing the series back in 2021, FX is finally ready to unleash Shõgun, an epic drama set in feudal Japan. Based on the best-selling James Clavell novel of the same, Shõgun will take viewers through a stirring journey in this limited series about an isolated, legendary samurai who’s struggling to hold onto power as he’s surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Here’s everything we know about the FX series.
Plot
From the official synopsis for Shõgun:
When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies — the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants. Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.
Cast
Shõgun will center on three main characters as it unfolds its epic tale. Anna Sawai stars as Lady Mariko, the “revered daughter of an infamous samurai traitor, whom Toranaga enlists to avenge her father’s death.” Hiroyuki Sanada takes on the role of Yoshii Toranaga, a “living legend” and “powerful daimyo from a feared lineage, isolated and outnumbered by his enemies in Osaka Castle.”
Rounding out the leads is Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne, “a restless English pilot major in search of a destiny far from the world he was born into.”
Release Date
While no precise release date has been set, FX has announced that Shõgun will premiere some time in February 2024 and run for 10 episodes.
Trailer
You can watch the official trailer for Shõgun below:
Shõgun premieres February 2024 on FX.