Disney+ revealed the first look at its 10-episode adaptation of Shogun, James Clavell’s epic novel set in feudal Japan, which debuts in the UK and globally in February 2024.
The series is set in Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, where Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him.
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 Toranaga 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.
The cast also includes Tadanobu Asano, Hiroto Kanai, Takehiro Hira, Moeka Hoshi, Tokuma Nishioka, Shinnosuke Abe, Yuki Kura, and Fumi Nikaido.
The series was created by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks, with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer. Also serving as executive producers are Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca and Kondo. Hiroyuki Sanada serves as a producer. The series is produced by FX Productions.