Cosmo Jarvis & Hiroyuki Sanada Anchor the Period Drama Revival of 'Shogun'
The Australian-born British writer James Clavell was well-known in Hollywood for The Fly, The Great Escape, and To Sir, With Love before becoming a best-selling novelist for Shōgun in the 1970s. Perhaps the only surprising thing about his book being adapted in 1980 for the screen is that it wasn't automatically assumed to be a big-budget blockbuster, which was all the rage in the wake of Jaws. Instead, Shōgun was about thirty years ahead of the curve as a big-budget TV miniseries starring mainly British actors, including Richard Chamberlain and John Rhys-Davies, for which it took home multiple Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, and a Peabody Award.
On some level, it's surprising the series hasn't been remade until now, as it's ripe for reinvention. The novel is focused on a British 17th-century character in shogunate Japan, making it a British-aligned period piece. However, the historical fiction it presents is one where a recentering of those who are actually at war, instead of the outland intruder, would give it a very different and interesting perspective. That's just what FX claims it is about to do with this remake, which is produced by actor Hiroyuki Sanada, an honorary member of the British Empire for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and best known to American audiences for his roles in Westworld on HBO and John Wick and The Last Samurai in film.
Sanada will co-star with Cosmo Jarvis, who most will remember from his most recent turn in Netflix's disastrous Persuasion, playing the white man outlander whose arrival by shipwreck kicks off the story. The new series will run ten episodes, up from the original 1980s miniseries' five.
