Shogun season 2: Series star on reason for return
Shogun season 2 is absolutely happening at FX and Hulu — while we will be forced to wait a good while for it, the fact that it is coming back at all feels reassuring. After all, there could have been a universe where the corporate powers-that-be sat on the decision for most of the year!
Obviously, you could have made a case here that the show should have ended after season 1, largely because that is what ended up happening with the books. However, at the same time we actually rather like that the series kept things rolling here, provided of course that they felt like there was more story to tell … and it does seem as though that is the case.
Now, speaking in a new interview with Deadline, actor Hiroyuki Sanada (who also produces the show) explained that his decision to return to the series was about something so much better than himself:
I never thought about Season 2, because we used the novel in Season 1 already. So, I accepted it as a miniseries, of course. And also, as an actor, I thought, ‘I’ve done my best. Done.’ But, as a producer, keeping this platform for the Japanese crew and cast for the next generation, it’s a very important thing. And, when I started living in LA 20 years ago, one of my missions was, I felt some big wall between East and West at that time. So, in our generation, I want to break this wall, and then create the bridge for the next generation. That’s my mission.
And now, we’ve got this big success, and a great opportunity to create more seasons. Why would I stop? Only in my opinion as an actor? No, no, no, no. ‘Producer me’ taught ‘actor me’, “You should continue do it for the next generation, of course.” And then that’s why I decided to keep this opportunity for Season 2 and 3. And it’s a great opportunity for the young actors and crew.
It is certainly also a chance that we are going to have a chance to see more fascinating stories for Toranaga and a number of other characters, ones that further push the horizons of this world and even educate viewers as well. What made the first season so excellent was that it was a chance for US viewers to be a part of a universe they weren’t as familiar with.
What are you the most excited to see moving into Shogun season 2?
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