Mad Cow Director and writer Maegan Houang has written the final episode 'A dream of a dream' of FX's Shōgun Season 1.
The show took home a record breaking 18 awards at the 2024 Emmy's this month and made history as the first ever non-English language series to win for best drama.
What initially drew you to the project ?
I loved the idea of updating the novel for a modern audience and including more of the Japanese perspective in comparison to the 1980 miniseries. We weren’t the first adaptation of Shōgun, and we certainly won’t be the last. I’d like to think each adaptation will serve as its own time capsule for the concerns of the era in which it's made.
Obviously the novel provides a wealth of subject material and an intricate narrative to adapt, were there any other external influences that you draw on for inspiration ?
The major influences Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo brought up from the beginning were The Last of the Mohicans, The Revenant, Tree of Life, Badlands, and Kurosawa’s jidaigeki (Seven Samurai, Ran, Red Beard, Throne of Blood). We also discussed other film references like Remains of the Day and In the Mood for Love regarding Mariko and Blackthorne’s romance.
How did adapting someone else’s work compare to writing your own screenplays ?
I find adaptation to be a challenging, but rewarding process. While the novel provides a roadmap for characters and story, everyone who reads the book still comes away with their own version of the characters. It’s up to us, as a room, to determine which version of the characters we want to portray on screen and the key scenes or moments we want to include because, unfortunately, we can’t include it all.
We'd love to get a glimpse inside the writer's room - what does a typical day look like?
We meet everyday to break story as a group. We all pitch different scenes ideas or character beats and flesh them out into complete episodes with a three act structure. It’s a lot of discussion – what makes sense, what doesn’t, what do we like, what do we not. Once we have consensus, Justin and Rachel then assign episodes to a writer (or writers in the case of EP110) to outline and script. It’s truly a group effort.
Is there a character that you found particularly interesting to write?
I was most drawn to Mariko and Ochiba and how both women use their limited status and agency to effect change. So often throughout history, women disappear into the background, their stories untold or ignored by the male victors. I’m proud that our room put so much effort into giving the women of feudal Japan a voice.
The show has had unprecedented industry success is adored by audiences around the world, but what does it mean to you personally?
Before my mom passed away, she was so excited for Shōgun to come out, but it soon became clear she wouldn’t make it. Justin and Rachel sent me the locked cuts in advance to show them to her before she left us and it will always mean the world to me.
Tell us about Emmy night, what did it feel like when you heard about the nominations and wins?
It’s still surreal to think about. When we first started working on the show, we never thought it’d be a huge hit, let alone win 18 Emmys. I’m just so grateful to be a small part of our incredible team.
How will this show influence your future creative endeavors?
I’ve learned an incredible amount working for Justin and Rachel, both as a writer and as a human. Regardless of where my career takes me, I feel confident the experience has made me a better, more thoughtful person.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently in the Shōgun Season 2 writers room as well as working on various TV and Film development projects.
Your career has spanned across so many creative ventures, including the music videos you've directed. When you look back at previous projects what are the top two music videos that you’ve shot and why ?
“Happy” by Mitksi will always have a special place in my heart because it did so much better than I ever could have imagined. I took a huge risk pitching a serial killer storyline on such a small budget and it paid off. I’m just so grateful that Mitski is open minded enough to go along with some of my crazier ideas. More recently, I love “Care” by Hana Vu because Hana is the real deal and deserves a lot more attention than she’s getting.
Shōgun premiered in February of 2024 and received 9 million streams in the first week of its release. It won a total of 18 Emmy's at the Primetime awards including Outstanding Drama, Lead Actor in a Drama for Hiroyuki Sanada, Lead Actress in a Drama for Anna Sawai and Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for Frederick E.O Toye.