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FX Network Shōgun reboot transforms Ucluelet into feudal Japan

Vancouver Island’s West Coast welcomes filming for new take on 1980 TV mini-series
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The West Coast turned into the Far East this week as a new FX Networks mini-series spent two days reimagining the Ucluelet area as feudal Japan for a new Shōgun limited series.

“We chose Ucluelet for the scenery, the beach, the open ocean, the rocks, the beauty and its similarity to the Japanese coast,” Shogun Producer Erin Smith told the Westerly News via email, adding the town lived up to its reputation of serene surroundings and exemplary hospitality.

“We have a lot of cast and crew from Japan, the UK, and the US, all of whom were blown away by the beauty of Ucluelet and Tofino. Not to mention, the local crew who are always happy to shoot there. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly.”

Executive produced by Justin Marks, Michaela Clavell and Michael de Luca, FX’s new miniseries is a remake of the popular Shōgun miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain that premiered in September 1980 on NBC and netted three Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes and a Peabody Award.

It is based on the James Clavell novel Shōgun published in 1975, which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

“Shōgun, set in feudal Japan, charts the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai: John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance,” reads a description of the upcoming series from www.fxnetworks.com.



andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

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Andrew Bailey

About the Author: Andrew Bailey

I arrived at the Westerly News as a reporter and photographer in January 2012.
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