“Tokyo Vice,” the crime drama series based on Jake Adelstein’s 2009 memoir of the same name, has been renewed for a second season at HBO Max.
The series stars Ansel Elgort as Adelstein, an American journalist who reports on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat in the late ‘90s, descending daily into the underbelly of the city. Ken Watanabe, Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Hideaki Ito, Show Kasamatsu and Tomohisa Yamashita also starred in Season 1.
“We could not be more excited to bring the passionate fans of the show another season to continue this intriguing and suspenseful crime story set in one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in the world,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max.
“Writing and then making the first season of ‘Tokyo Vice’ with this remarkable group of artists was a matchless experience,” said creator J.T. Rogers. “So I’m over the moon that we get to keep going. I can’t wait to get back to work in Tokyo with our brilliant cast and crew. Stay tuned: there are twists and turns in the tale to come!”
Rogers writes the series and executive produces alongside Elgort, Adelstein, Watanabe, pilot director Michael Mann, Emily Gerson Saines, Brad Kane, Destin Daniel Cretton, Kayo Washio and John Lesher. Endeavor Content is the studio and handles worldwide rights.
The new season is the first major project announced to include Elgort since 2020, when he was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old, which he denied, calling his relationship with the girl “brief, legal and entirely consensual.” He led Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of “West Side Story,” though the film completed production before the allegations were published.
Season 1 of “Tokyo Vice” began shooting months before the allegations, though production was halted due to the start of the pandemic and resumed after the allegations. The actor eventually deleted his social media response and has made only sparse and controlled public appearances since then.