The director of Shogun, Jonathan Van Tulleken, is fed up with comparisons to Game of Thrones, which he considers too reductive.
Shogun is the second big-budget adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling historical novel, which tells the true story of the first Englishman in Japan. The creation of the FX channel, available on Disney+ in France, therefore follows the mini-series with Richard Chamberlain broadcast in 1980.
The story of John Blackthorne – played by Cosmo Jarvis in the new series – is loosely inspired by the life and times of William Adams, who went from shipwrecked on the shores of Japan to a person of influence, wielding immense social power and politics in the land of the rising sun.
The first two episodes have been released and the critics are already unanimous: we have finally found a worthy replacement for Game of Thrones! But why doesn’t director Jonathan van Tulleken like the comparison?
Shogun director doesn’t want to see comparisons to Game of Thrones
Speaking to the BBC, Shogun director Jonathan Van Tulleken said that for the FX series, House of Cards and Succession would be much better references than Game of Thrones.
“Really, it’s a character-driven work,” the filmmaker said in comments reported by Deadline. “It’s a dangerous world where violence can come out of nowhere but the real danger lies in the machinations. A conversation can be as perilous as anything else. A better comparison [than Game of Thrones] would be Succession or House of Cards.”
The series, which takes historical facts while adding well-balanced fiction, presents an authenticity which was at the heart of its creation. The Japanese language, in particular, has been given special care to be respected as much as possible.
The first two episodes of Shogun have already been released, and the third is expected on March 5 on Disney+.
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