FX’s highly-anticipated series ‘Shōgun’ is set to launch tomorrow, and director Jonathan van Tulleken has made an interesting comparison when it comes to describing the show. While many have compared it to HBO’s epic ‘Game of Thrones,’ van Tulleken believes that a better comparison would be HBO’s ‘Succession’ and Netflix’s ‘House of Cards.’
In an interview with the BBC, van Tulleken explained that while ‘Shōgun’ is indeed an epic spectacle, it is primarily a character-driven piece filled with intrigue. He stated, “This is a dangerous world where violence can come out of nowhere, but the real danger lies in the machinations. A conversation can be as dangerous as anything else. A better comparison [than Game of Thrones] would be Succession or House of Cards.”
Based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel, the series is set in Japan in the year 1600, during a century-defining civil war. The story revolves around Lord Yoshii Toranaga, played by producer Hiroyuki Sanada, who finds himself fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. However, everything changes when a mysterious European ship is discovered in a nearby fishing village, carrying an English pilot named John Blackthorne, played by Cosmo Jarvis. Blackthorne holds secrets that could potentially tip the scales of power and dismantle the influence of Toranaga’s enemies.
Interestingly, this is not the first adaptation of Clavell’s novel. It was previously made into a limited series for NBC in 1980. However, van Tulleken emphasized that FX’s version, which is a Japanese co-production, is focused on avoiding the western gaze. He explained, “This is made hand in hand with the Japanese because it is a story about two cultures encountering each other and seeing ourselves in each other. We are way past the western gaze in terms of audience sophistication and the stories we want to tell. What we really want to tell is a story of political intrigue, imprisonment, and entrapment.”
The series, created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, will be directed by van Tulleken for the first two episodes. It is worth noting that van Tulleken is also set to helm Amazon’s ‘Blade Runner 2099’ epic, taking over from Jeremy Podeswa.
With its unique blend of historical drama, political intrigue, and cultural exploration, ‘Shōgun’ promises to be a captivating series that will transport viewers to a fascinating era in Japanese history. As fans eagerly await its launch, it remains to be seen whether the comparisons to ‘Succession’ and ‘House of Cards’ hold true and if ‘Shōgun’ will carve out its own place in the pantheon of epic television series.