In a move that pushes the boundaries of science fiction television, FX is launching Alien: Earth on August 12 on FX and Hulu. Inspired by the iconic Alien franchise, the television series expands the story in new and unexpected ways. Spearheaded by visionary series creator, executive producer, writer and director Noah Hawley, the show promises to deliver terrifying new monsters as well as explore new depths of humanity.

Prestige Science Fiction Television

“An Alien movie is a two-hour survival story, and a television show can’t be that,” Hawley explained. “It’s long-form storytelling about multiple characters who don’t die, that we have to invest in over a long period of time.”

This shift from cinematic intensity to serialized storytelling marks an evolution for the franchise, aligning with Disney’s commitment to character-driven storytelling across its platforms.

Hawley also took measures to ensure that one of the iconic elements of the Alien franchise was handled with care, so it wouldn’t get in the way of the broader storytelling: monsters.

“The first thing you have to do is figure out how the monsters work in the show, because the point of the show can’t be the monsters, otherwise you have a very short show,” Hawley said. “So I took the monsters out of the story and had to figure out what the story would be about.”

This allowed Hawley to focus more squarely human drama and philosophical inquiry at the heart of the narrative before bringing monsters back into the series, helping boost the prestige bona fides of Alien: Earth.

In fact, FX has been on a tear lately with critical hits that also resonate with large swaths of viewers.

Beyond Alien: Earth — which currently sits at a 94% Rotten Tomato score among critics — recent FX shows like Shōgun, The Bear, and Fargo (also created and executive produced by Hawley), have been celebrated for their narrative ambition — garnering several Emmy Awards among them with high Rotten Tomatoes scores — and cultural resonance.

Inviting Longtime Fans and Fresh Audiences

Set two years before Ridley Scott’s original 1979 film, the series is designed to be accessible to newcomers: “I wanted the audience to look at the show and understand they don’t have to have watched an Alien movie to watch the show,” Hawley noted. This inclusive approach broadens the franchise’s reach, inviting both longtime fans and fresh audiences into its universe.

At its core, Alien: Earth still remains true to the franchise’s roots, continuing its legacy of riveting female protagonists.

“I think the identity of Alien is female from Sigourney [Weaver], but also if we look at the creature itself and the fact that it’s a matriarchy. There’s a queen, right? So, it was very important for me to stay true to that identity.”

Hawley’s commitment to this legacy is reflected in the show’s protagonist — a young girl inspired by the character Wendy from Peter Pan (played by Sydney Chandler, and is also named Wendy).

“I started with this idea about human consciousness being transferred into a synthetic body and the idea that adult minds maybe are too fixed, so they have to start with children,” Hawley explained. “That led me to a kind of Peter Pan metaphor, and then I kind of just naturally came to this idea of Wendy who is in many ways the hero of Peter Pan. In that way, I ended up with a female protagonist without necessarily searching for one.”

Scale, Spectacle, and Resonance

Behind the scenes, the production is a testament to Disney’s scale and precision. “It’s not just the 20 stages — it’s the 750 people working on the show,” Hawley notes. “You build a system, and you build a system of human beings in which there’s accountability, responsibility, and respect.”

But Alien: Earth isn’t just about spectacle — it’s about connecting with audiences.

“My big hope is that I entertain the planet Earth for the summer! But… I hope that people find themselves walking away from every episode not being able to get the story, the characters, and the dilemmas out of their head… Let’s call it ‘entertainment plus.’”

With Alien: Earth, FX and Disney are not only expanding a beloved franchise — they’re expanding the horizons of what science fiction can be on television. It’s a bold, thoughtful, and thrilling new chapter that promises to both captivate and frighten audiences old and new.

Premiering Tuesday, August 12, on Hulu and FX, Alien: Earth is the first-live action Alien series and is a strong addition to the Alien film franchise, which spans seven films between 1979’s Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, and 2024’s Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Alvarez.

The original series is set in the year 2120, where cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans — but the scales tip when Prodigy Corporation’s wunderkind founder and CEO makes a revolutionary technological achievement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness).

Extraordinary in every aspect, the first hybrid prototype, named Wendy (Sydney Chandler), marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After the deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, Wendy and a team of tactical soldiers spring into action and make a perilous discovery — one that puts them face-to-face with an otherworldly threat.

The series hails from creator and executive producer Noah Hawley, the Peabody and Emmy Award winner behind Fargo, with Ridley, David W. Zucker, Joseph Iberti, Dana Gonzales, and Clayton Krueger also serving as executive producers.

Following the debut of The Bear’s fourth season, which is off to a white-hot start with viewers, FX has picked up the fifth season of the acclaimed Emmy^® Award winning comedy, it was announced by John Landgraf, Chairman, FX. All seasons, including the newly released season four, are available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ with a bundle subscription domestically and Disney+ internationally.

“The Bear continues to be a fan favorite worldwide and their response to this season — as seen through incredibly high viewership — has been as spectacular as any of its previous seasons,” said Landgraf. “Year-in and year-out, Chris Storer, the producers, cast and crew make The Bear one of the best shows on television, and we are excited that they will continue to tell this magnificent story.”

In the latest season, the series’ fourth, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are pushing forward, determined not only to survive, but also to take The Bear to the next level. With new challenges around every corner, the team must adapt, adjust and overcome. The pursuit of excellence isn’t just about getting better — it’s about deciding what’s worth holding on to. The series also stars Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas and Matty Matheson, with Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon in recurring roles.

Named an AFI Television Program of the Year in each of its first three seasons, FX’s The Bear most recently won 11 Emmy Awards for its second season, the most wins for a comedy series ever in a single year. The show has also garnered awards nominations and/or wins from the Golden Globe^® Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards^®, Peabody Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Writers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards, Producer Guild Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, MPSE Golden Reel Awards, CAS Awards, ACE Eddie Awards and TCA Awards, amongst others.

FX’s The Bear was created by Christopher Storer, who serves as Executive Producer alongside Josh Senior, Joanna Calo, Cooper Wehde, Tyson Bidner, Matty Matheson, Hiro Murai and Rene Gube. Courtney Storer serves as a Co-Executive Producer and Culinary Producer. The series is produced by FX Productions.

Last week, The Walt Disney Company shattered records at the 76th Emmy® Awards, garnering 60 wins across its content brands, studios, and platforms.

A major part of that record-breaking success was FX, which received 36 awards. That was the most for any of the company’s brands or studios, and the most in the history of the brand.

To find out more about how FX achieved such an amazing feat, we spoke with John Landgraf, Chairman of FX Content & FX Productions.

Under Landgraf — who also oversees National Geographic and Onyx Collective — FX has brought in big ratings and big acclaim with hits such as Shōgun (which won 18 awards at this year’s Emmys, setting a new Television Academy record for any series in a single year) and The Bear (which nabbed the most wins for a comedy series in a single year, taking home 11 wins).

Here’s what Landgraf had to say about FX’s biggest night and what’s next.

You’ve been with FX for over 20 years, and you have spearheaded iconic programming that audiences and critics love. This year FX received 36 awards, the most in the history of the network. Is there anything about now being fully integrated into The Walt Disney Company ecosystem that has enhanced or changed how FX is able to deliver such exceptional storytelling?

FX is now a global TV brand capable of delivering series on the magnitude of Shōgun only because we’re part of The Walt Disney Company. We have international reach at scale thanks to exceptional streaming services like Hulu and Disney+. That’s only possible in the streaming era — and we’re extremely fortunate to be at the forefront of it because of Disney.

On a day-to-day basis, the support of so many teams across Disney enables us to focus even more intently on creating the best possible content. The FX brand of programming relies on a curation process that really hasn’t changed in my years at FX. Being able to spend more time with our creative partners has only enhanced our ability to craft stories like Shōgun, The Bear and so many more.

We’re so grateful for this year’s Emmy Award wins and the opportunity to help Disney set the all-time record for Emmy wins in a single year. I think this year’s success proves the value of how Disney and Bob Iger structured for streaming after acquiring FX and the other FOX assets. Quality brands that can maintain their individual identities have a better ability to pursue excellence, and together we can compete with anyone and be best in class.

One strategic advantage for Disney is the way it can bring content to consumers across multiple platforms. We see this firsthand with many FX series being available on linear platforms as well as streaming via Hulu and Disney+. Why is that important from a creative standpoint as well as a business one?

We want to reach as many people as possible so it’s just smart business to meet them where they are. Our loyal cable audience has been there from the start and is still an important part of the mix. To pull in younger and more global audiences we are available globally on Hulu and Disney+ — which are additive to a remarkable degree.

Our partnership with Hulu had an immediate positive impact on our viewership numbers and was a lifeline enabling FX to evolve into a streaming brand. They largely introduced a new audience to our catalog and current series, making it possible now, with Disney+, to bring a show like Shōgun, and our entire slate, to a global audience. That’s why we took the risk and why we spent the money.

The fact that we have so many avenues of distribution, from linear to streaming to home video and beyond, is such a relief. However TV evolves, I feel we’ll be able to take advantage of all of the existing and emerging outlets to deliver the FX brand of programming in a way that simply wasn’t possible even a few years ago.

Creating premier storytelling starts with having a strong relationship with talent. What makes Disney Entertainment the best home for the world’s best creators?

There isn’t an entertainment company as big as Disney and for its size and breadth Disney Entertainment takes incredible care to support and empower its creative partners. That’s always been very important to FX and I see it reflected in the cultures of our sister brands and studios.

We’re trying to give creative people a home to take their ideas from inception to premiere. That collaboration infuses every step of development, production, marketing and publicity. How we help artists make their shows has been key to attracting the very best talent and yielding one of our industry’s highest batting averages. It’s what makes FX, ABC, Freeform, Hulu, National Geographic, the Onyx Collective and so many other brands special.

Disney is a creative company started by an artist over 100 years ago, and where the core value has always been to foster and share great, innovative stories with consumers. We are proud to do our part by investing in our relationships with talent at every level to tell the best stories possible.

Following this year’s record-setting Emmys, what’s next? What excites you in the coming year and beyond?

I’m excited that we’re already back at it. Even as we celebrate the Emmys, we are launching five shows in September with four of them — English Teacher, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, Grotesquerie and Social Studies — being new, joining the anticipated return of The Old Man. We close out the year with the limited series Say Nothing and American Horror Stories and the final season of What We Do in the Shadows. FX heads into next year with a bunch of new shows, including our next global event series Alien: Earth, and the next chapter of The Bear.

We love the opportunity to bring great TV to fans and couldn’t do it without the dedication of everyone on the FX team. To amplify that with the resources of The Walt Disney Company is amazing. Under the leadership of Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, and with the support of Joe Earley, Eric Schrier, Lauren Tempest, Alisa Bowen, Shannon Ryan, Karey Burke and so many others, Disney Entertainment has never been more poised for success. I’m proud to be part of that creative powerhouse.

Season 1 of FX’s The Old Man saw two of Hollywood’s best actors — Academy Award®-winner Jeff Bridges and Emmy®-winner John Lithgow — engage in a cat and mouse game of foreign espionage and personal demons over seven thrilling episodes.

While former CIA agent “Dan Chase” and FBI Assistant Director “Harold Harper” — played by Bridges and Lithgow, respectively — are meaty roles for both actors, the story in Season 1 required that the two spend much of the season in far-off locations, and not often on screen together.

In Season 2, which premieres Thursday, September 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and streams the next day on Hulu, the promise of seeing these legendary actors team up comes to fruition. Their characters set aside their differences and come together to recover the woman they call “daughter” after she’s been kidnapped.

According to Lithgow, it was “a terrific frustration” to be featured alongside Bridges in Season 1 without getting much time to act against him. However, in Season 2, the actors were able to act together in “an abundance” of scenes, and “just had a fantastic time,” Lithgow said.

“We had a ball,” Bridges added.

And the producers agree. “As much as you guys wanted to work together, we wanted to see you together,” co-creator/executive producer/writer Jonathan E. Steinberg said of the actors. “I think there’s a promise in the first season that it’s coming. In a way, it’s driving the show in the sense of what’s going to happen when these two guys are together. And it turns out it’s pretty great.”

Season 2 picks up at a very high stakes moment for both characters, as they must work together to recover “Emily Chase,” played by Alia Shawkat, after she is kidnapped by “Faraz Hamzad,” played by Navid Negahban.

‘Two Very Different Disciplines’

FX’s The Old Man was afforded a luxury not given to all shows: rehearsals.

“Watching these two guys explore these roles, these moments…they take the time to just want to make it special,” executive producer Dan Shotz said. “They want to take the time to see all the possibilities, and then keep tweaking it and keep trying, and that is what is remarkable about watching them work together.”

While they were able to prepare in harmony for production, the acting training of the two leads comes from “two very different disciplines,” Lithgow noted.

Bridges mainly learned screen acting, while Lithgow was raised in classical theater.

That difference in their backgrounds helped add an extra layer of depth to their characters, because Chase and Harper “operate in extremely different ways and are constantly in conflict with each other,” Lithgow explained.

“In a way, just the fact that I’m much more a theater actor who’s had to tone it down to work in front of a camera, and Jeff has a long, long history… acting in front of a camera. I think it’s a very interesting combination,” Lithgow said.

The Old Men

Bridges noted “when I prepare for any role, I start with myself.” For The Old Man, he didn’t have to do much to make good on the promise of the title.

“I’m an old man, I don’t have to play it,” Bridges, 74, mused about his role. “I mean, I bring that to the party without any trouble.”

Lithgow, 78, concurred. “I’ve sort of entered into my old man chapter and it’s been very exciting,” the actor said.

Just because the actors are septuagenarians, that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of stunts and action on The Old Man. Season 1 saw Bridges perform hand-to-hand fights throughout the season in long, wide takes that highlighted the physicality that he put into the role, and that continues in Season 2.

“I’m feeling great now and I’m coming back for more punishment,” Bridges said of the physical nature of the role.

Warren Littlefield, an executive producer on the show, lamented that the long hours and travel do take their wear and tear on older production members, but that it doesn’t translate on screen. Instead, “the Zen of this show is a playful spirit. And it comes because of these two men [Bridges and Lithgow], and everyone, our entire crew, what that set feels like, is this kind of playground.”

In fact, Littlefield said that the collaborative and easygoing feeling on set causes ideas to flow freely, and that work feels more like playing in a sandbox. Unlike the characters, Littlefield noted, that feeling “just doesn’t get old.”

FX today announced that the final season of its critically acclaimed comedy What We Do in the Shadows will premiere on Monday, October 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX with the first three episodes of the 11-episode sixth season. All episodes will stream the next day on Hulu, where fans can also stream all five previous seasons. Internationally, the series’ previous seasons are available to stream on Disney+, with season 6 coming soon.

What We Do in the Shadows will kick off its Farewell Tour this Thursday, July 25 at San Diego Comic-Con with a panel discussion featuring stars Matt Berry (“Laszlo Cravensworth”), Kayvan Novak (“Nandor the Relentless”), Mark Proksch (“Colin Robinson”) and Kristen Schaal (“The Guide”), along with Executive Producer/Writer Paul Simms and Executive Producer/Director Kyle Newacheck. The special panel event will run from 3:30 p.m. PT – 4:30 p.m. PT in Hall H and will give fans an exclusive look at a brand-new episode from the upcoming season.

Last week, What We Do in the Shadows earned eight Primetime Emmy® Award nominations for its fifth season including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Matt Berry) as well as nominations for Writing, Costumes, Production Design, Picture Editing, Sound Mixing and Stunt Coordination.

What We Do in the Shadows documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their former familiar and current human friend, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) as well as their vampire bureaucrat acquaintance, The Guide (Kristen Schaal).

After a very brief stint as a full-blown vampire, Guillermo is re-evaluating his life. Who is he if not a familiar who will do anything to please his Master in hopes of one day being turned into a vampire? Meanwhile, the vampires are reevaluating, too. When their former roommate reappears after a 50-year nap, they realize how little they’ve done in half a century — not one goal accomplished, not one dream pursued, not one part of the New World conquered (except for their street and part of Ashley Street).

In the sixth and final season of the Emmy-nominated comedy, Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, Colin and Guillermo will enter the workforce, visit New Hampshire, go to a human dinner party, fête The Baron and conjure a demon — all while trying to find their place and their purpose in this crazy, mixed-up world.

Executive Producers include Paul Simms, Jemaine Clement, Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Yana Gorskaya, Kyle Newacheck, Taika Waititi, Garrett Basch and Eli Bush. What We Do in the Shadows is produced by FX Productions.

Anticipation for the third season of FX’s The Bear helped drive a record 5.4 million views for the premiere globally in its first four days of streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. and on Disney+ in select markets internationally. This marks a 24% increase in views over The Bear’s second season premiere, which debuted in 2023.

The Bear’s audience continues to grow following its multiple Emmy^®, Golden Globe®, and Screen Actors Guild^® Awards. On Hulu, it now holds the title as the most watched FX season premiere ever, the most watched scripted season premiere ever, and third most watched season premiere ever. Fans looking to catch up with the show ahead of the premiere, and those bingeing for the first time, also helped drive increased viewership of The Bear’s first two seasons in the weeks prior.

Before all 10 episodes premiered last week, Jeremy Allen White, who stars as Chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, opened up about the high expectations the cast and crew faced heading into Season 3. “We were just coming off the success of awards season, so I was very anxious,” he said. “I knew the scripts were strong… but the pressure is very real. After a couple of weeks of being around [the cast] and our beautiful crew, everything fell back into place.”

“It all felt fun again,” White added. “It felt possible again.”

Created and executive produced by Christopher Storer, The Bear’s third season follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they do what it takes to elevate The Bear. The half-hour comedy series also stars Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Matty Matheson, with Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon in recurring roles.

“If it’s not perfect, it doesn’t go out.”

That’s the direction Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) gives protégé Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) in Season 3 of FX’s The Bear, and it’s the same guiding principle that series creator and executive producer Christopher Storer has been following since he first conceived of the Emmy^®-, Golden Globe^®-, and Screen Actors Guild^® Award-winning series.

One of FX’s most critically acclaimed and popular comedies, The Bear returns this Wednesday, June 26, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with 10 episodes on Hulu*. In Season 3, all eyes on are on Carmy’s recently reimagined restaurant—and in real life, all eyes are on the cast and crew, who recently wrapped production in Chicago. “We were just coming off the success of awards season, so I was very anxious,” White admits. “I knew the scripts were strong… but the pressure is very real. After a couple of weeks of being around [the cast] and our beautiful crew, everything fell back into place.”

“It all felt fun again,” White adds. “It felt possible again.”

This season, Carmy, Sydney, Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and their loyal crew want to elevate The Bear, a former beef stand turned fine dining establishment. That’s easier said than done, of course—and as the temperature rises, tensions are likely to boil over. After his last breakdown, White says, “I think Carmy does what he [always] does: He buries himself into his work and really tries to challenge himself. In doing so, he really challenges everybody around him—and becomes quite challenging to be around, as well.”

So, to motivate himself and his crew, Carmy creates a list of “non-negotiables” that urges them to “push boundaries” and “constantly evolve through creativity,” among other things. (The cast’s list of non-negotiables was easier to execute than their characters’, Edebiri says with a laugh: “Be nice to each other. Learn your lines. Show up prepared. Stay hydrated.”)

Also in Season 3, Carmy will offer Sydney a partnership agreement so they can continue to bring out the best in one another—and this time, to do so as equals. “One of the things this season deals with is what that means to Sydney and what that next step means for her relationship with Carmy,” Edebiri says. “Carmy is somebody she really looked up to… but it’s a lot more chaotic than she might’ve idealized before they really started working together.”

While Carmy is “not the best communicator,” White acknowledges, “he will often make a grand gesture like that… I think that’s his way of reaching out. But oftentimes, people aren’t prepared to receive. He’s got a lot going on in his mind all the time, and people aren’t always aware of what’s going on. You’ll see how that affects Carmen and Syd’s relationship.”

Carmy, Sydney, and Richie, and the rest of The Bear’s staff—which includes Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto (Abby Elliott), Marcus Brooks (Lionel Boyce), Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas), and Neil Fak (executive producer Matty Matheson)—will face a number of new challenges and opportunities throughout Season 3. Underneath it all is an undercurrent of grief, which has always been “one of the connecting threads of the show,” Edebiri says. At the same time, Moss-Bachrach argues, it is perhaps The Bear‘s “greatest strength. Grief is the river that runs through all of us; it’s maybe one of the only things that we all share in the human experience. That continues [in Season 3]. Everyone deals with it in their own way—or not.”

While things may get heavy onscreen, that’s never the case behind the scenes.

“The workplace feels very safe and warm,” Moss-Bachrach says. “When you feel supported that way and taken care of, you feel entitled to dig deeper, to share more personal things, and to take risks.” Everyone on set has been empowered with a sense of “agency,” Moss-Bachrach adds: “Everyone feels entitled to say how they feel, to collaborate, to contribute.”

*Internationally, Disney+ will drop all 10 episodes simultaneously at the new time in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Gibraltar, the Balkans, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Egypt, and select countries in the Middle East, and will launch Season 3 of The Bear in all other territories at a later date.

FX, Hulu and the Estate of James Clavell are working to extend the critically acclaimed global hit drama Shōgun, moving forward to develop the saga with two additional seasons of the drama series.

The show’s key creative partners including Co-Creators, Executive Producers and Writers Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, Executive Producer Michaela Clavell, and series star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada are on board for the development. Production timing has not been locked in, but a writers’ room is being assembled and will begin this summer.

Through its first nine weeks, Shōgun has become FX’s most-watched show ever based on global hours streamed. All 10 episodes of season 1 of Shōgun, which concluded on April 23, are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in all other territories.

Shōgun has received tremendous critical acclaim, including:

• “the best TV show of the year” – Esquire
• “a genuine masterpiece” – TIME
• “not only one of the best shows of the year but one of the best shows ever to grace the screen” – Collider
• “easily one of the best shows of 2024” – Forbes
• “the best show of the year by some margin” – Polygon
• “the best series — with the best acting — on TV right now” – The Daily Beast
• “some of the best performances of the year so far” – Paste
• “FX’s Shōgun isn’t a remake — it’s a revelation…. a genuine masterpiece” – TIME
• “Dazzling Shōgun is the genuine TV epic you’ve been waiting for” – USA Today
• “Majestic… Thrilling and fascinating… I never wanted to leave this world” – TV Guide

Shōgun, 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.

Shōgun 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; Takehiro Hira as “Ishido Kazunari,” a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga’s chief rival; Moeka Hoshi as “Usami Fuji,” a widow who must find new purpose amidst her lord’s fight; Tokuma Nishioka as “Toda Hiromatsu,” Toranaga’s trusted general and closest friend; Shinnosuke Abe as “Toda Hirokatsu” (“Buntaro”), Mariko’s jealous husband; Yuki Kura as “Yoshii Nagakado,” the brash son of Toranaga with a strong desire to prove himself; Yuka Kouri as “Kiku,” a courtesan renowned for her artistry throughout Japan; 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.

Shōgun 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. The series is produced by FX Productions.

FX’s 10-episode limited series Shōgun—an epic saga of war, passion, and power set in feudal Japan, based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel—garnered 9 million views* globally for the premiere episode across Hulu, Disney+, and Star+, based on six days of streaming—making it the No. 1 scripted General Entertainment series premiere globally.

Domestically, Shōgun is the No. 1 FX premiere on Hulu, just ahead of The Bear Season 2, thanks to viewership from Hulu on Disney+. Internationally, Shōgun is No. 1 across all General Entertainment series releases, ahead of The Kardashians Season 1.

The first three episodes of Shōgun are now streaming, and new episodes will debut every Tuesday through April 23. The next episode, “The Eightfold Fence,” will begin streaming Tuesday, March 12, on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ and Disney+ in Latin America, and Disney+ in all other territories and will air at 10 pm ET/PT on FX.

Shōgun is created for television by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, and Kondo. Alongside Cosmo Jarvis who stars as John Blackthorne, the series features an acclaimed Japanese cast—unprecedented for a U.S. production—that includes producer Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko, Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige, Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi, Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari, Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji, Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu, Shinnosuke Abe as Buntaro, Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado, Yuka Kouri as Kiku, and Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata.

* A view is defined as total stream time divided by runtime.

Premiering Tuesday, February 27, on FX and Hulu, the highly anticipated, 10-episode limited series Shōgun is an original adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling 1975 novel—a sprawling story set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war.

“We have never made a show on this scale before,” says John Landgraf, Chairman of FX Content and FX Productions. “What’s unique about this adaptation versus the [award-winning 1980 miniseries] is that it tells the story from the Japanese perspective, not just the European perspective. We had two full production crews: one in English and one in Japanese. We hired most of the cast out of Japan, and I think that choice is why Shōgun has one of the best and most indelible acting ensembles of any program FX has ever made.”

FX’s Shōgun is created for television by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, and Kondo. The series follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga (producer Hiroyuki Sanada), who is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents conspire against him. When a mysterious 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.

Needless to say, adapting such rich source material was an exhaustive endeavor—and everyone involved was committed to telling an authentic, engaging story. Following a lengthy development process, principal photography began in September 2021 in Vancouver, where cameras would continue to roll for the next 10 months. Says Marks, “Without a doubt, the hardest aspect [of making FX’s Shōgun], the thing we grappled with from the beginning up until the moment we delivered the last episode, was, ‘How do we tell this story in a way that brings us closer to our Japanese partners, who worked on the show with us and who were in the mud and the rain and the darkness with us for the very, very long time it took us to prep and shoot this show? How do we reflect this experience authentically in a way that feels like it is speaking with something new to say? And how do we [avoid] making the mistakes of previous Hollywood depictions of stories set in Japan?’”

Whereas the story had previously been told from Blackthorne’s perspective, FX’s Shōgun gives its Japanese characters greater agency. In fact, the majority of the dialogue is spoken in Japanese and subtitled in English, immersing audiences even deeper into the characters’ world. “In this day and age where the reach of a television show is very global, we’re trying to scratch at something that isn’t being made specifically with one culture’s audience in mind,” Marks says. “With Rachel and I being American, coming to it with a Western sensibility, at no point did I think we could realistically deny our gaze and what we were bringing to this. What we tried to do with that gaze was find a way to transcend culture.”

Clavell adds, “The book is a very complex group of thoughts and stories, and because the viewership is so sophisticated, as is the technology, Rachel and Justin were able to write the complexities of the stories and the characters from the Japanese point of view, as well as Blackthorne’s point of view. We were very proud of being able to translate the novel’s complexities in the series. It comes through beautifully—very simply, but very beautifully.”

FX’s Shōgun features an acclaimed Japanese cast and crew, which is unprecedented for a U.S. production. “For the first time ever, I had a team to make it authentic as much as possible,” recalls Sanada, who adds how “happy” he was to produce an accurate drama series using both Japanese and Western crews. “We had a dream East-meets-West team.”

Initially, Marks says he and Kondo “were dying” to film FX’s Shōgun on location in Japan. “We got out of the writers room super excited to start that journey, and then about six weeks later, it was March 2020, and everything came to a pause [due to the COVID-19 pandemic],” he recalls. “There were good things that came out of that, in terms of our process. But the one real casualty was our ability to plausibly shoot this in Japan anytime over the next couple of years… It meant that we had to, in a lot of ways, bring Japan to us.”

Committed to being authentic to the era, the sets, locations, décor, props, and construction builds for FX’s Shōgun were designed to make audiences—and cast—believe they stepped into 1600 feudal Japan. “Ultimately, we built as much scenery as we would have built for an 80- to 100-day feature film in time to be ready for the first two episodes,” recalls Helen Jarvis, the series’ production designer. “It was no small feat. We were just flying. It was fun.”

Fun was also had by costume designer Carlos Rosario, who oversaw each costuming detail, from the fabric and the colors to the styling and the way patterns were cut and sewn. “Every single costume piece that you see on Shōgun has been handmade,” he says. “We decided from the beginning that it was extremely important for us to make everything.”

Collectively, these thoughtful efforts make for a truly cinematic experience. “This is the most ambitious production in the history of FX,” Landgraf says. “The incredible beauty and attention to detail the producers devoted to recreating feudal Japan is just breathtaking.”

Tonight, cast members from FX’s The Bear won in three categories at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, hosted at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

• Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
• Ayo Edebiri, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
• Jeremy Allen White, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Season 2 of FX’s The Bear, now streaming on Hulu, follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they work to transform their grimy sandwich joint into a next-level spot. As they strip the restaurant down to its bones, the crew undertakes transformational journeys of their own, each forced to confront the past and reckon with who they want to be in the future.

Of course, it turns out the only thing harder than running a restaurant is opening a new one, and the team must juggle the insane bureaucracy of permits and contractors with the beauty and creative agony of menu planning. The transition brings a newfound focus on hospitality as well. As the entire staff is forced to come together in new ways, pushing the boundaries of their abilities and relationships, they also learn what it means to be in service, both to diners and to each other.

The comedy series also stars Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Matty Matheson. Edwin Lee Gibson, Oliver Platt, and Molly Gordon appear in recurring roles.