The team behind FX’s critically acclaimed historical drama explains why Shōgun season 2 would not be easy to make if it even happens at all.

The team behind FX’s critically acclaimed Shōgun remake has spoken about the difficulties of having the show return for another season. Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, the story was previously adapted as a 1980 miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune, and Yoko Shimada. Plans for the latest adaptation were first announced in 2018, but the production faced significant delays and many rewrites until filming eventually resumed in 2021. Following its streaming release in late February, the show’s first few episodes have attracted rave reviews and comparisons to HBO’s Game of Thrones. The praises include Shōgun‘s cast, Japanese background, and intense storytelling.

Speaking to Variety, the team behind Shōgun has explained why calls for a potential season 2 may be premature. While FX executive Gina Balian is not opposed to the idea of a potential season 2, she admitted that “there’sa lot of things that would have to fall in line.” Meanwhile, co-creator and showrunner Justin Marks echoes Balian’s sentiments, pointing out the difficulties faced in bringing season 1 to life. Even Shōgun‘s Lady Mariko actor Anna Sawai suggests that “sometimes it’s better shorter.” Check out their comments below:

Balian: “It’s hard to shut the door. I don’t think we would take that off the table, but there’s a lot of things that would have to fall in line. It’s not an easy show to mount.”

Marks: “Are there more stories to tell? Yeah, it’s not a spoiler to say the show doesn’t end with the Red Wedding. The way television works these days, it’s always going to be a question mark. It’s a tough one. It takes a human toll. When you keep repeating it, the show has told you what it wants to be. Having said that, I don’t know if there was ever a person on this show that could tell what it wanted to be, because every day it would tell us ‘more,’ and get harder and harder every day.”

Sawai: “If they want more, this is based on Japan’s history, so they can make more. But sometimes it’s better shorter! And if Justin and Rachel aren’t doing it, I don’t know who can.”

Could Shōgun Become An Anthology Series?

Clavell has five other books in the Asian Saga.

While the intense political machinations of 17th-century Japan have proven to be an intriguing backdrop for Shōgun, it seems that the show’s current ten-episode run will cover the entirety of Clavell’s original book. Though this may not entirely discount the possibility of a season 2, any attempts to continue the story of Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) would have to be done without the benefit of any guiding source material.

Nonetheless, if FX did decide to renew Shōgun for season 2, there would still be countless real-life historical tales for them to base future plots on. However, another option that could more closely echo Clavell’s approach as the original author would be to provide season 2 with an entirely new setting and transform the FX/Hulu show into an anthology.

With the original 1975 book serving as the first book in Clavell’s Asian Saga, the author would later turn his attention to crafting stories set in different Asian cultures right up to the events of World War II. Moreover, many of Clavell’s other books have previously been adapted to the screen, including the 1988 miniseries Noble House starring Pierce Brosnan. This approach could potentially provide Shōgun season 2 with the best chance of receiving the same critical acclaim that season 1 is currently enjoying.