Disney+ drama Shogun: Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis and Anna Sawai lead thrilling new adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel
- This sweeping tale of a British sailor and his exploits in feudal Japan deserves every ounce of rapturous acclaim as its 1980 predecessor
- John Wick: Chapter 4’s Hiroyuki Sanada is perfectly cast as a 17th-century lord, but it is Cosmo Jarvis as the flawed, sympathetic anti-hero who truly shines
In 1980, American studio Paramount Television’s groundbreaking adaptation of the bestselling novel Shogun, written by James Clavell, became a broadcasting sensation.
Screening across five consecutive nights, the epic historical saga starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune pulled in record audience numbers, propelled the book to the top of the charts, and helped nurture interest in Japanese culture across America.
Forty-four years later, Clavell’s sweeping tale of a British sailor – loosely based on the real historical figure William Adams – and his exploits in feudal Japan during the country’s tumultuous Sengoku period has once again been plundered for an ambitious televisual adaptation.
FX’s Shogun is unlikely to have the same seismic impact as its predecessor – if only because of the wealth of content now perpetually at our fingertips – but this thrilling epic deserves every ounce of its predecessor’s rapturous acclaim.