FX and Hulu have purchased an ad during Super Bowl XVIII, a 30-second in-game commercial for the anticipated Shogun series, which premieres Tuesday, February 27, exclusively on Hulu.
The Shogun Super Bowl ad will direct fans to go online to view the new extended trailer, which has been released and can be viewed in this article.
Additionally, FX released The World of Shogun, a five-minute immersive video introducing fans to the history behind Shogun, the rise of Warlords, Samurai, and a powerful empire in Feudal Japan. The World of Shogun is available to view here as well.
The 10-episode limited series will premiere on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ in all other territories. The premiere will include the first two episodes, followed by a new episode each week.
FX’s Shogun series, an original adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel, is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Producer Hiroyuki Sanada stars as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who 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.
Shogun features an acclaimed Japanese cast, unprecedented for an American production, including Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige, a notorious backstabber and close ally of Toranaga; Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi, the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne’s ship was found; and Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari, a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga’s chief rival.
There’s also Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji, a widow who must find a new purpose amidst her lord’s fight; Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu, Toranaga’s trusted general and closest friend; and Shinnosuke Abe as Toda Hirokatsu (Buntaro), Mariko’s jealous husband.
The cast is rounded out by Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado, the brash son of Toranaga with a strong desire to prove himself, and Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata, the revered mother of the heir who will stop at nothing to put an end to Toranaga and his threat to her son’s power.
Shogun is created for television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks, with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, and Kondo. Hiroyuki Sanada serves as a producer. The series is produced by FX Productions.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.