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Updated with first confirmed speakers: Oscar winner Samantha Quan (Anora), Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Carolyn Strauss and Carter Swan (The Last of Us), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Squid Game), Stephanie Allain (Hustle & Flow) and Abhijay Prakash (Blumhouse) are among the first round of speakers confirmed for the 2025 Produced By Conference.

The annual panel and networking confab organized by the Producers Guild of America is set to take place May 31 on the Universal Studios lot in Universal City.

The daylong event features discussions with producers around buzzy films and TV series and topics, combining networking with inside looks at the critical role of producers in the industry. Organizers say this year will include the return of the annual “The State of Producing” session as well as sessions dedicated to AI from a producer’s perspective.

Last year’s edition on the Fox lot featured participants like Howard Gordon, Michael Thorn and...

Even if the quality of the series from the US seems to deteriorate with time and the plethora of offerings, Asia, on the other hand, seems to retain and even increase the level of standards regarding drama, with the transition from towards “TV” of Korean talent, and the ever present ‘workaholism’ of the actors in J-dramas leading the way. Add to that the fact that the production values, with the streamers investing more and more, continues to get higher, the opening to Indonesia, which seems the next big market, and the heavy investment by Taiwan, and you have the backbone of what is happening in the drama world at the moment. In that setting, the awards “Shogun” got in this year’s Golden Globes seems like the cherry on top.

Without further ado, here is the list with the best Asian Dramas of 2024, in random order, since we thought that the difference in genres,...

Whenever a new streaming service shows up, it brings with it a myriad of exciting new shows that are charged with carving a brand identity for the platform, and offering something unique to stand out from the Too Much TV era. When it came to Max, the one to watch for canceled shows, one of the most exciting titles that not many people watched was "Tokyo Vice."

This moody thriller with a narratively complex story of crime and journalism boasted Michael Mann as an executive producer, and also the director of the pilot episode. It was a lavish production with unparalleled access to filming locations in Japan. Indeed, the most unique thing about "Tokyo Vice," and reason alone to watch the show, was that this was the first major American TV show to film entirely in Japan — which not even "Shogun" managed to accomplish. Never before has a scripted production...

Alex Boden, producer of Max/Wowow series “Tokyo Vice,” outlined the hurdles and triumphs of filming the first U.S. studio streamer series shot entirely in Japan during a keynote at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The keynote was delivered as part of a Motion Picture Association event at the festival.

Created by J.T. Rogers and starring Ken Watanabe, Ansel Elgort, Rachel Keller and Kikuchi Rinko, the series followed a Western journalist working for a publication in Tokyo who takes on one of the city’s most powerful crime bosses.

Boden spent nearly two years in Japan producing both seasons of “Tokyo Vice.” Before production began in 2020, several international producers had advised against shooting entirely in Japan, citing lack of incentives, studio availability and complex permission processes.

“They’d gone to other countries like New Zealand for ‘The Last Samurai,’ Germany for ‘Speed Racer,’ Taiwan for ‘Silence’ – anywhere else but Japan,...

Exclusive: Daughters, the award-winning Netflix documentary set behind the walls of a Washington DC prison, will serve as the closing night selection of a new film festival taking place at California’s San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.

The film, winner of the Festival Favorite Award as well as the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary at Sundance, centers on a special “Daddy-Daughter Dance” where incarcerated men and their daughters participate in a unique and emotional bonding experience. It will screen October 11 at the San Quentin Film Festival, a two-day event on the grounds of the prison that houses upwards of 4,000 men.

‘Daughters’

“We are honored to have Daughters screen as the Closing Night film in San Quentin!” said Natalie Rae, who directed the documentary with Angela Patton. “To connect incarcerated fathers...

The San Quentin Film Festival — the first-ever film festival held inside a prison — has named its inaugural industry jury, which includes Jeffrey Wright, Billy Crudup, Mary-Louise Parker and more.

The festival, taking place Oct. 10 and 11 at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in northern California, will highlight short films and pitches from current and formerly incarcerated filmmakers in front of a jury made up of entertainment industry artists and executives. Separately, an “inside jury” made up of currently incarcerated people will judge narrative and documentary feature films about the prison experience made by filmmakers who have never served prison time.

Actors on the industry jury include Wright, Crudup, Parker and Kathy Najimy.

Directors on the jury include Elegance Bratton, Taylor Hackford, Lynn Novick, Greg Kwedar, Jeff Stanzler and Joe Talbot.

Writer-producers on the jury include Sam Catlin, Lawrence O’Donnell, Piper Kerman (“Orange Is the New Black”) and J.T. Rogers.

The jury also includes Len Amato,...

Tokyo Vice's cancellation after two seasons on Max reflects a troubling trend of niche shows being axed for financial reasons. Season 2 of Tokyo Vice was critically acclaimed, expanding the story world and characters in a compelling way. The creators of Tokyo Vice are looking into options to continue the series despite Max's cancelation, potentially selling it internationally.

Max, the streaming platform that replaced HBO Max back in 2023, has made the decision to cancel Tokyo Vice after two great seasons. When I first found out that Tokyo Vice had been canceled after the announcement was made in early June 2024, I wasn't surprised. My reaction had nothing to do with the quality of the show but everything to do with the way things have been in the saturated landscape of streaming content. A show like Tokyo Vice might have run for five or six seasons on HBO just 10 years ago. Nowadays,...

When Donald Glover first approached showrunner Francesca Sloane about adapting “Mr. & Mrs. Smtih” for Amazon Prime, she “started laughing,” and thought it was a “weird Donald Glover joke that he randomly spit out.” She was confused as to why he would pick the 2005 action-comedy of all movies, but as the conversation evolved, the project began taking shape in her mind.

“We discussed why people get married, what is it like to fight for somebody, how would it be to take this big blockbuster hit and use our sensibilities of quiet moments and filter that throughout the series,” Sloane explained. “And also, what is it like to have a woman run and write this show in such a masculine-charged genre? So, it started to sound like something that made sense to us.”

As part of Variety’s A Night in The Writers’ Room, Sloane was joined by showrunner and creator of “Average Joe” Robb Cullen,...

Shows like ‘True Detective,’ ‘Hacks,’ ’ The Sympathizer,’ and others are putting their best foot forward for Emmy voters.

The Primetime Emmy Awards are still three months out, but campaign season is in full gear. The nomination round of voting began this week and runs through Monday, June 24. As is often the case, Warner Bros. Discovery has dozens of titles up for consideration between the premium prestige programs of HBO and the buzzy streaming-exclusive shows on Max. To help remind voters of the series that they loved over the past year, Max is launching For Your Consideration (FYC) panels featuring the cast, producers, and crews of titles to make the case for their nominations. Subscribers can find a large selection of panels on Max now, and those who aren’t already signed up for Max can take advantage of the streamer’s limited-time free trial to check out the panels and the shows themselves!

Tokyo Vice built an extensive and detailed world of late 20th-century Tokyo for two seasons. The story was crafted to span two seasons as Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) investigated the Yakuza and succeeded in taking down one of the biggest crime bosses. While the story was tied up nicely at the end of Season 2, there was still much more to explore. Max opted not to proceed with a third season despite both seasons' outstanding reception from critics and the audience. Variety caught up with Alan Poul and J.T. Rogers, the minds behind the show, and they talked about what they had planned for the show before the Max news.

Their run may be over at Max, but “Tokyo Vice” showrunner J.T. Rogers and executive producer Alan Poul aren’t ready to give up on the show’s future yet. Just days after the streamer canceled the critical smash hit series, the pair sat down with Variety for an interview about the latest season, and whether Season 2 will indeed be the show’s last. And if Rogers and Poul get their way, then more “Tokyo Vice” is inevitable.

Continue reading ‘Tokyo Vice’ Creators Not Ready To Give Up On Show’s Future After Max’s Cancellation: “We Don’t Accept The Condolences Yet” at The Playlist.

When the news broke earlier this month that Japan-set crime drama “Tokyo Vice” had been canceled, it came as a blow to fans, but not exactly a surprise. For two seasons on Max, the show — adapted by showrunner J.T. Rogers from journalist Jake Adelstein’s memoir of the same name — stood out as an increasingly rare gem in a contracting, decidedly post-peak TV landscape. Starring Ansel Elgort as a fictionalized version of Adelstein, a journalist who embeds with the yakuza as a reporter at the country’s largest daily paper, “Tokyo Vice” delivered an immersive, detailed portrait of the global capital at the turn of the millennium.

Better yet, “Tokyo Vice” improved over time. Season 2 broadened the story’s focus from Jake to a larger ensemble, while also bringing his long-simmering conflict with ascendant boss Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida) to a head. The finale offered a satisfying conclusion, ending on Jake...

Tokyo Vice will not return for a third season, leaving fans disheartened after just two gripping seasons on Max. The decision to conclude the series honors the creator's vision, with additional episodes to wrap up the narrative. Despite critical acclaim and strong audience support, Tokyo Vice faces an untimely end due to industry cuts.

Tokyo Vice has finally settled on a definitive, albeit disheartening, update: the series will not see a third season. This announcement was made at the Produced By conference in L.A., marking the end of its brief but memorable run on Max.

Since its debut in April 2022, Tokyo Vice has appealed to audiences with its hard-hitting story and intense portrayal of Tokyo's criminal underworld. The series initially launched with an eight-episode first season and recently wrapped up with a second season consisting of ten episodes. Despite hopes for further exploration of its characters and themes, the...

“Tokyo Vice” creator and executive producer J.T. Rogers had a two-season story mapped out from the beginning, so much so that he had to make sure that the first season of the Max drama seeded the details and Easter eggs that wouldn’t pay off or become important until the second season.

“The pressure for me at least was having an idea going on for a few years now and really champing at the bit to get to the places we wanted,” Rogers tells Gold Derby (watch the exclusive video interview above). “Hikari, our wonderful director on Episode 4 in Season 1, said, ‘I don’t think we have time to get that shot of the watch.’ I said, ‘You need it because 11 hours from now on television, there’s going to be a reference to it.’ So there are so many things we set up narratively, and to have the luxury...

Quick Links Tokyo Vice Season 3 Is Canceled Tokyo Vice Season 3 Cast Tokyo Vice Season 3 Story Tokyo Vice Season 3: Further News & Info Tokyo Vice has not been canceled before its third season. The main cast members, including Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe, were expected to return for season 3. The storyline for season 3 was uncertain, but it could have involved a new twist in Jake and Detective Katagiri's exploration of Tokyo's criminal underworld.

The HBO drama series Tokyo Vice has earned a strong reputation in its first two seasons thus far, but the crime thriller was canceled before its third season. Debuting in 2022, the series follows American journalist Jake Adelstein as he relocates to the Japanese capital where he quickly falls in with a seasoned detective and learns the dark truth about the supposedly safe city. Though it is hardly the first series to be labeled as neo-noir, its unique...

Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe starrer Tokyo Vice impressed viewers when it premiered its first season back in 2022. The series based on the memoir by Jake Adelstein chronicles Elgort’s character, who is introduced into the dark and dangerous yakuza world in Japan, with Watanabe’s character being his guiding light.

Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe in Tokyo Vice | Max

The show recently completed airing its second season in April, with audiences deeming it a satisfying conclusion to the compelling narrative that started with season 1. With the story drawn to a close, Max has canceled the show after season 2. However, the creators of the show want to develop more stories within the world, but fans are not thrilled about it.

Tokyo Vice Creators Have More Stories To Tell Despite the Show’s Cancellation on Max Tokyo Vice season 2 was a wild ride that compelled audiences till the end | Max

Tokyo Vice...

It's now official: Tokyo Vice has been canceled. The series will not be moving forward at Max, confirmed to be axed after a total of two seasons.

The show's fate was confirmed by producers at the Produced By conference in L.A. on Saturday, per The Hollywood Reporter. First premiering on Max (then HBO Max) in April 2022 with an 8-episode freshman season, the series returned with its 10-episode second season in February 2024. Season 2 concluded in April, and its finale will now serve as the last episode of the series. Some fans had been hoping to see a third season, but it was revealed that Season 2 was meant to conclude the story, and that's also why there were an additional two episodes.

Related Bill Skarsgard Set to Return as Pennywise for It Prequel Series on Max

Bill Skarsgrd is now set to play the role of Pennywise once again for a...

Max has done it again. The Warner Bros. Discovery streamer has canceled another one of their masterful, underappreciated shows, this time the enthralling, cross-cultural crime period piece “Tokyo Vice.” The news was announced at the PGA’s Produced By conference by the show’s creator and executive producer J.T. Rogers and executive producer and director Alan Poul during a panel with Max original programming chief, Sarah Aubrey.

Despite the series’ short run, the panelists indicated that this was a mutual decision.

“We’re grateful not only to Max, but to our partners Fifth Season, who sold the show around the world, and made it a global success story,” Rogers and Poul wrote in join statement shared by Variety. “They were in the trenches with us always, guaranteeing that we could make the show we wanted to make. The response from both the press and from fans, in particular to Season 2, has been overwhelming.

Tokyo Vice season 3 is cancelled by Max despite being a critically acclaimed show. Series creator J.T. Rogers remains hopeful about the show's future.

Tokyo Vice season 3 is cancelled by Max, but the series creator remains hopeful about the show's future. Loosely based on the 2009 non-fiction book by journalist Jake Adelstein, the crime drama debuted in April 2022. With famed Heat director Michael Mann directing the first episode, and J.T. Rogers developing the adaptation, the story follows Ansel Elgort as an American who wants to become a journalist in Tokyo. But in the show's late 1990s setting, nothing is as it seems. The cast of Tokyo Vice also includes Ken Watanabe, Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Hideaki Ito, Show Kasamatsu, and Tomohisa Yamashita.

Deadline now confirms that Tokyo Vice season 3 will not happen, as Max has canceled the show. Read the statement from Max's spokesperson below:

From Tokyo...

One of the most critically acclaimed shows on Max (formerly HBO Max) is coming to an end, with it revealed today that Tokyo Vice’s second season will be its last. The show starred Ansel Elgort as American journalist Jake Adelstein, upon whose memoir the show was based. In it, Adelstein, a crime reporter, relocates to Tokyo and becomes embroiled in the world of the Japanese Yakuza. Ken Watanabe played his mentor, a detective investigating organized crime in the city, while Rachel Keller, Sho Kasamatsu and Rinko Kikuchi co-starred.

The pilot episode for the show was famously directed by the great Michael Mann, who also served as one of the show’s executive producers. It was originally commissioned at a time when Warner-Discovery was hoping to make HBO Max a hub for high-end series, only for many of their shows, including Raised by Wolves, The Flight Attendant, and now Tokyo Vice...

After two seasons since it first aired in 2022, it has been announced that Toyko Vice has been cancelled on Max. This comes after it was reported two months ago that the show could begin filming this year if the streaming service decides to renew the show. Unfortunately, it seems like the crime drama isn't returning and it's currently unknown if the show's creator, J.T. Rogers plans to give it a new home.

“Tokyo Vice” — the crime drama that has run on Max for two seasons — has come to an end, at least for now.

The cancelation was confirmed Saturday at the PGA’s Produced By conference in Los Angeles during a panel discussion about the Ansel Elgort series and the Emmy-winning Max comedy “Hacks.” Max original programming chief Sarah Aubrey, along with “Tokyo Vice” creator and executive producer J.T. Rogers and director and executive producer Alan Poul, detailed the development of the series that was an elaborate production, much of it on the streets of Tokyo.

Aubrey characterized the decision to end after Season 2, which bowed in February, as something that was planned as a storytelling arc to allow the writers to build toward a clear end point. Rogers also characterized it as a mutual decision to support the storytelling.

“To know you’d have the two-season arc was really wonderful,” Rogers said.

Max has officially said sayonara to Tokyo Vice.

The crime drama, starring Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe, will not be back for a third season, TVLine has learned. The news came out during a panel at Saturday’s Produced By conference in Los Angeles.

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Tokyo Vice‘s Season 2 finale, which dropped on April 4, now serves as its series finale.

Max series Tokyo Vice has ended after two seasons. The news was revealed today during a Produced By panel at the Fox Studios with participants Max Head of Original Content, Sarah Aubrey, Tokyo Vice creator J.T. Rogers and EP/director Alan Poul.

Said a Max spokesperson in a statement in regards to the series farewell, “From Tokyo Vice’s richly written material to the gorgeously composed shots to the lived-in performances, the care and creativity of this enormously talented cast and crew shines in every frame of the show. We thank J.T., Alan, Ansel, Ken, Fifth Season, and Wowow for their partnership on this wholly unique modern noir thriller.”

Added Rogers and Poul, “Over the last five years Max has made sure we got to tell our story. They have supported us through thick and thin. Not only did they give us these two seasons, they said yes when...

The Producers Guild of America has announced the first round of speakers for the 2024 edition of the Produced By Conference, which is taking place on the Fox studio lot in Century City on Saturday, June 8.

Those confirmed to speak so far include Alan Poul (Tokyo Vice), Angela Russo-Otstot (Cherry), Brad Simpson (Crazy Rich Asians), Charles Roven (Oppenheimer), Greg Berlanti, Ghaith Mahmood (Partner of Latham & Watkins), Howard Gordon (Accused), Jack Rapke (Cast Away), Paul W. Downs (Hacks), Jeff Schaffer (Curb Your Enthusiasm), John Wilson (How To with John Wilson), J.T. Rogers (Tokyo Vice), Jen Statsky (Hacks), Kate Crawford (Atlas of AI), Lori McCreary (Madam Secretary), Lucia Aniello (Hacks), Lynette Howell Taylor (A Star Is Born), Mike Farah (@fter Midnight), Renard T. Jenkins, Roxanne Taylor (the Goat) and Tommy Oliver (Juice Wrld: Into The Abyss).

Confirmed to moderate discussions are Amy Gravitt...

Ken Watanabe, the Oscar-nominated actor who is a star of the Emmy-buzzed HBO/Max drama series Tokyo Vice — he plays Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and a father-figure to Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), an American journalist in Tokyo — is being entered for Emmys consideration as a leading actor just like Elgort, contrary to widespread reporting that he would be pushed as a supporting actor, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Tokyo Vice is currently in the awards conversation for its second season, which has been even better received (93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) than its first (released in April 2022, it’s at 85 percent), and has been the most widely watched Max original on the platform since it dropped. It is competing in a year in which the Emmys’ drama categories are thin to an almost unprecedented degree, with only one past drama...

Quick Links What Happened in the Season 2 Finale of Tokyo Vice? Tokyo Vice's Creators Already Have Ideas For a Third Season Tokyo Vice's Chances of a Third Season Just Got Even Stronger

The second season of Tokyo Vice has recently come to an end, and its finale has had the fans buzzing not just over its quality, but over whether they'll get to see more of Jake Adelstein's investigations in the future. With the events that unfold in the finale, it appears that it has managed to wrap up the main storyline and most of its surrounding subplots in a more than satisfactory manner. Because of this, it may not seem like a third season would even be necessary, but it still leaves the door open for more. Given just how popular the show has become, along with a few other contributing factors behind the scenes, it...

Tokyo Vice‘s conclusion in Season 2 echoes a particular moment from Season 1, something that the show’s writers and creators designed to distinguish the story from an American production, which would have had a different ending had it been so.

A still from Tokyo Vice

The story of the two-season show (as of now) follows American journalist Jake Adelstein, who explores the dark underbelly of Tokyo, uncovering mysteries of the Japanese Yakuza as the first foreign journalist in the country. He works with the Vice squad of the city, working with Hiroko Katagiri, a senior officer in law enforcement.

Season 2 of Tokyo Vice echoed a particular Season 1 moment

Tokyo Vice Season 2

Season 2 of Tokyo Vice ends with Ken Watanabe‘s character sitting and having a conversation with Jake, echoing Season 1 when the character met for the first time. This was by design, as stated by J.T Rogers to Entertainment Weekly:

“I knew for many,...

[Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Tokyo Vice Season 2]The two-season arc of Max's sleeper hit series Tokyo Vice has reached its conclusion, and as the storylines set up in Season 1 are pieced together, more doors open that can easily carry us into a potential Season 3. In the ever-evolving streaming world, it's difficult for viewers to trust they'll get another season, but showrunner and writer J.T. Rogers planned ahead. Joined by director and executive producer, Alan Poul (Six Feet Under), the two creatives sat down with Collider's Steve Weintraub to break down the biggest plot points of Season 2, that unexpected finale, and more.

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Ripley, Civil War and Monkey Man.

Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces premiere

Steve Martin was joined by Selena Gomez, Jimmy Fallon, Diane Sawyer, Richard Kind and Finn Wittrock at the New York premiere of his new Apple TV+ documentary on March 29.

Selena Gomez and Steve Martin Director Morgan Neville, Steve Martin and Jimmy Fallon

Civil War special screening

After debuting Civil War at SXSW, writer-director Alex Garland and stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons and Nick Offerman screened the film in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Alex Garland, Nick Offerman, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Jojo T. Gibbs

Ripley premiere

Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning joined creator Steven Zaillian at the Los Angeles premiere of their new Netflix series on Wednesday.

Creator J.T. Rogers hints at Tokyo Vice season 3, exploring moral themes if renewed by HBO. Positive reception may lead to season 3 renewal, with potential conflicts and new stories ahead. The cast is likely to return for season 3, promising to delve deeper into the Japanese underworld.

Tokyo Vice creator J.T. Rogers addressed the possibility of Max's crime drama returning for season 3. Initially premiering in 2022, the thriller series follows Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), an American journalist who might fight and learn to earn his place after becoming the first foreign-born journalist ever to join a Japanese newspaper. After a successful season 1 which received a glowing reception from both critics and audiences, HBO renewed the show for season 2, which recently aired its final episode.

Speaking with The Wrap, Rogers revealed that he started to ideate Tokyo Vice season 3 but cautioned "we’ll get to see if we get to make it." The...

If the final episode of season two is the last of “Tokyo Vice,” the Max series saw several storylines come to a fitting conclusion. Speaking to creator J.T. Rogers and executive producer (and director) Alan Poul, however, it’s clear the brains behind the period thriller believe there are still more stories to tell. But first, a major spoiler warning if you haven’t watched episode 10, “Endgame,” yet.

Continue reading ‘Tokyo Vice’: J.T. Rogers & Alan Poul Spill On Season Two Finale & Tease What’s Next [Interview] at The Playlist.

Are you a fan of the gripping crime series Tokyo Vice? If so, you are probably wondering if there will be a third installment following the shocking finale of the second season. Well, you’re in luck because the creator of the Max series has, at last, opened up on the matter.

Note: Spoilers for Tokyo Vice’s Season 2 finale can be found below.

As followers of this crime drama series may recall, Shinzo Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida) aspired to be the sole supreme oyabun (leader) of the Japanese crime syndicate. However, he met his violent end at the hands of himself in the Tokyo Vice season two finale, capping off his dreams.

A still from Tokyo Vice

Following the terrifying cliffhanger finale of season 2, many viewers were left wondering if the story would continue. The good news is that a third season is officially in the works, as confirmed by the creator.

Tokyo Vice is a crime drama series that explores the dark criminal underbelly of Tokyo through the lens of an American journalist. The series depicts the lives of those involved with the Japanese mafia known as the Yakuza. After the show recently concluded its second season, creator J. T. Rogers sat down for a conversation and discussed different aspects of the show.

A still from Tokyo Vice

During an interview, Rogers was asked about the show’s depiction of Yakuza and revealed whether the crew received help from actual members of the criminal organization. At the same time, Rogers also discussed the challenges of filming the series on location in the city of Tokyo. Here is everything Rogers said about working on Tokyo Vice.

Tokyo Vice Creator J. T. Rogers Reveals if the Yakuza Were Involved in the Show

Based on Jake Adelstein’s book of the same name, Tokyo Vice...

[This story contains major spoilers from the finale of season two of Tokyo Vice, “Endgame.”]

Shinzo Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida) had dreams of becoming the one supreme oyabun (leader) of the yakuza crime syndicate in Japan.

In the season two finale of Tokyo Vice (now streaming on Max), those dreams ended with his violent demise — by his own hands.

Initially, it appeared in the series — which is filled with twists and turns of the bloody yakuza subculture in Japan, as it’s covered by American journalist Jake Adelstein, played by Ansel Elgort, who co-stars alongside Ken Watanabe — that Tozawa played a winning hand by murdering rival clan leaders, and threatening to kill police officers and reporters (and their families) who appeared to hurt his climb to absolute power in Tokyo and beyond.

But in all the yakuza leader’s ruthlessness, Tozawa made one major misstep. He showed blatant disrespect and dishonor toward his wife, Kazuko Tozawa (Makiko Watanabe), who fell in love with...

[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “Tokyo Vice” Season 2, Episode 10, “Endgame.”]

In “Tokyo Vice,” honor is a double-edged katana. On one end sits Ozaki (Bokuzō Masana), the Meicho Shimbun newspaper executive who confesses to Emi (Rinko Kikuchi) that he was the one who destroyed the Yoshino videotape — although “confesses” is too generous a word. Ozaki solves her season-long mystery without batting an eye, before mansplaining his action as if Emi is an idiot. He had to destroy the tape. If the Meicho ran a story about a government official’s involvement in the murder of a hostess, then the paper would be frozen out of government business for years. “And how would that serve our readers?” he asks. So now that Emi has brought him further evidence against prime-minister-in-waiting Jotaro Shigematsu (Hajime Inoue), proving his ties to Yakuza leader Shinzo Tozama (Ayumi Tanida), the dignified thing to do is turn over her documents to the proper parties,...

Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of “Tokyo Vice,” now streaming on Max.

Season 2 of “Tokyo Vice,” the neo-noir crime drama set in Tokyo, Japan, and loosely based on a memoir written by journalist Jake Adelstein, has come to a close in an explosive finale that both sent off the series’ main, two-season running antagonist — and laid the foundation for what could potentially come from the Max thriller if a third season were to be greenlit.

The show stars Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe, and tells the story of a Japanese-fluent American writer (Elgort) who works his way into covering crime for one of Tokyo’s most prominent newspapers. In the process, he forges an unlikely bond with a dogged local police detective, Hiroto Katagiri (Watanabe), with the duo sharing information and working together to untangle sordid yakuza activities.

Before diving into the specifics of the finale,...

This article contains spoilers for Tokyo Vice season 2.

The second season of the acclaimed Max original series Tokyo Vice featured a bloody power struggle between different yakuza clans for control of Tokyo’s criminal underworld in the late ‘90s. At the center was Shinzo Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida), the head of the Tozawa clan who viciously murders any rivals that won’t concede to his rise to power, while pulling the strings of the Japanese government and major news media outlets. Scrambling to dethrone Tozawa are investigative journalist Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), veteran police detective Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe), and rival yakuza boss Akiro Sato (Show Kasamatsu).

In an exclusive interview with Den of Geek, Tokyo Vice creator, showrunner, and executive producer J.T. Rogers and director and executive producer Alan Poul unpack the twists and turns of season 2, explain how they set up the season’s grand finale, and reveal their...

Tokyo Vice season 2 is fast approaching its finale which will air on Thursday, April 4. While fans are enjoying the HBO Max show’s fresh new episodes, its makers have shared the challenges they encountered while filming the series’ second installment.

The show’s producer Alan Poul recently opened up about the difficulty they faced in securing a filming permit for multiple locations in Japan. The filmmaker also worked on the set of Ridley Scott’s 1989 yakuza thriller Black Rain which was famously kicked out of Japan before the filming was complete.

Ansel Egort in Tokyo Vice season 2 | Midseason Trailer | Max – YouTube

Ridley Scott’s 1989 yakuza film became a cautionary tale in Hollywood

1989’s Black Rain starred big names like Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, and more. The film chronicled the story of two New York City policemen scrabbling about Japan’s underworld looking for a yakuza fugitive who had escaped from custody.

From the moment the Max team took on Tokyo Vice, their determination was to ensure authenticity and to accurately portray the essence of the story. Thus, what better way to showcase Tokyo Vice than by shooting it in Japan? Although it may have initially sounded like a thrilling adventure, it turned out to be one of the most challenging aspects of the project for the team.

Tokyo Vice Season 1 Episode 8

Why Was It So Necessary to Shoot Tokyo Vice in Japan?

What the recent typical pop culture media portrays Japan to be was not the angle Max wanted to approach Tokyo Vice from. Instead, they aimed to delve deep into the extensive crime world and darker aspects of the beautiful land, juxtaposing the serene and aesthetic views with cherry blossoms.

Suggested“There was no other option than to do it properly”: Tokyo Vice Didn’t Want to Find the...

Ansel Elgort starring Max original series, Tokyo Vice, is just days away from airing its explosive season 2 finale. The dramatized version of real events follows American journalist Jake Adelstein, as he delves into Tokyo’s crime-filled underworld.

The series also focuses on Ken Watanabe’s veteran police detective Hiroto Katagiri and Show Kasamatsu’s Akiro Sato. The season 2 finale may end some of the unsolved mysteries of the season.

Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, and others in Tokyo Vice official poster

Showrunner J.T. Rogers adapted the series from Adelstein’s book Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan. Rogers will also pen the finale episode of the season, making fans excited for some great twists and turns. The finale is expected to address 2 major mysteries.

Mystery 1: Who Started The Meicho Office Fire? Eimi suspected Baku of starting the Meicho Office fire in Tokyo Vice Season 2 Episode...

In a world saturated with countless streaming options, it is not uncommon for ‘great’ shows to slip through the cracks. And Tokyo Vice is a perfect example of this phenomenon.

About two years have gone by since the premiere of Michael Mann’s (two-time Primetime Emmy winner) crime-drama series, Tokyo Vice, which introduced us to yet another lonely yet determinant male character. Let us first praise a television show that actually knows its place. HBO Max’s crime series raises the bar for audacity by naming the show after its ‘real location’.

Created by J. T. Rogers, this series effortlessly raises the bar, and Tokyo gains the upper hand. The drama coexists with a celebration of all things surrounding Tokyo, from the vividly lit side alleys to the spacious, vibrant karaoke bars in the 17 episodes, especially the first one directed by Mann.

But, despite being hailed as one of the best shows ever created,...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Tokyo Vice.

Tokyo Vice season 2 premiered on February 8, 2024, with weekly episodes that will conclude on April 4, 2024. Tokyo Vice season 2 followed the violent rise of Tozawa and the efforts of Jake, Katagiri, and Sato to stop him. Tokyo Vice season 2 consists of 10 episodes, two more than the previous season. Tokyo Vice season 3 has not been announced.

The Tokyo Vice season 2 finale is set to premiere soon. The final episode of Tokyo Vice season 2 was written by Tony-winning playwright and showrunner J.T. Rogers and is poised to be one of the best episodes of the entire series. Following the shocking developments in Tokyo Vice season 2, episode 8, and episode 9, the season 2 finale will likely determine the ultimate fate of the villain Tozawa and his ambitions to become the most powerful person in Japan.

Tozawa already holds great influence over the soon-to-be Prime Minister Shigematsu and now plans to operate...

Tokyo Vice Season 2 wastes no time diving back into its neo-noir depiction of the Japanese criminal underworld. As crime reporter Jake Adelstein uncovers a shocking murder linked to the yakuza, the Chihara-kai clan faces both internal and external threats over its operations as its young enforcer, Sato, rises through the ranks. Meanwhile, police detective Hiroto Katagiri finds himself on a new career path and one that will change how Japan addresses the yakuza moving forward.

In an interview with Cbr, Tokyo Vice series creator/executive producer J.T. Rogers and director/executive producer Alan Poul discuss the major character arcs moving into Season 2. They also point out some of the bigger themes behind the series and discuss how they crafted the follow-up to the acclaimed Max original series' debut season.

Read Our Review Review: Tokyo Vice Season 2 Goes Bigger & Darker with Its Japanese Neo-Noir Tokyo Vice returns to Max for its second season,...

With the first two episodes of Season 2 now streaming on Max, Collider's Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to sit down for an extended interview with the cast and creatives behind Max's '90s noir series Tokyo Vice at the Scad TV festival in Atlanta. Stars Ken Watanabe, Ansel Elgort, Rachel Keller, and Shô Kasamatsu join series creator and executive producer J.T. Rogers and director and executive producer, Alan Poul to discuss how they bring the streets of '90s Japan to life and what fans can expect in Season 2.

Tokyo Vice, a Max Original, loosely adapts Jake Adelstein's memoir on crime reporting in Japan for gripping TV drama. Some controversy surrounds the accuracy of the events depicted, with creative license taken for dramatic effect. Showrunner J.T. Rogers clarifies that Tokyo Vice isn't a documentary but is instead inspired fiction based on real events.

Created by award-winning playwright J.T. Rogers, Tokyo Vice is a gritty Max Original crime series that exposes the seedy underbelly of Japan's crime world. Based on the 2009 memoir by American journalist Jake Adelstein, the story involves Adelstein's rise to become the first foreign-born reporter to work the crime beat for the influential Japanese newspaper, The Meicho Shimbun. As Jake attempts to prove his worth as an outsider, he becomes embroiled in dangerous reports involving the Yakuza and other powerful criminals hell-bent on seizing control of the city.

With the recent debut of Tokyo Vice Season 2 on Feb.

In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo investigates Max’s hit series “Tokyo Vice.” Based on the book of the same name, the series follows the true story of reporter Jake Adelstein, the first American to join the staff of a prominent Japanese newspaper, The Yomiuri Shimbun, in Tokyo, Japan. He quickly gets wrapped up in a story of corruption & murder with the Yakuza and falls in with a local detective.

Continue reading ‘Tokyo Vice’: Creator J.T. Rogers & Director Alan Poul Talk Season 2 & Daniel Radcliffe Almost Starring & More [Bingeworthy Podcast] at The Playlist.

Warning: Major Spoilers ahead for Tokyo Vice season 2.

Tokyo Vice season 2 picks up where season 1 left off, with the fates of Sato and Polina's characters finally answered. Jake takes the tape exposing Vice Minister Shigematu and the existence of the Yoshino sex cruise to Katagiri & Meicho. The absence of Tozawa throughout the first two episodes raises suspicions of the Tozawa clan's plans as the police ramp up efforts against the Chihara-Kai.

Tokyo Vice season 2 premiered its first two episodes on February 8, 2024, titled "Don't Ever F**cking Miss" and "Be My Number One". The critically acclaimed series featured many returning characters from its robust season 1 ensemble, including Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, and Rachel Keller. Tokyo Vice season 2 picks up exactly where season 1's cliffhanger finale left off, with questions revolving around the fates of Sato and Polina's characters answered by the end of the first episode.

Tokyo Vice, created by J.T. Rogers,...

Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from the Season 2 premiere of HBO’s “Tokyo Vice,” now streaming on Max.

“Jake is being a very bad boy…”

That’s how Ken Watanabe, who plays detective Hiroto Katagiri, described Jake Adelstein’s (Ansel Elgort) actions at the end of “Tokyo Vice’s” Season 2 premiere. The second season picks off right where Season 1 ended in April 2022 and plugs viewers back into the neon-lit streets of Tokyo’s underbelly.

Loosely based on the memoir written by journalist Jake Adelstein, “Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan,” the show follows Adelstein as he works with detective Katagiri to expose the atrocities committed by the yakuza and dismantle organized crime in the city.

The jaw-dropping Season 2 premiere, which debuted on Max with two episodes, saw Jake, the Japan-based journalist, for lack of a better phrase, “sealing the deal” with Shinzo Tozawa’s (Ayumi Tanida) girlfriend,...

After nearly two years, Max’s hit crime noir, Tokyo Vice returns for an all-new second season. And with that, fans will once again get to go back to the neon-lit 90s and dive into Tokyo’s seedy underbelly that raged during the time. Created by Tony Award-winning playwright, J.T. Rogers, of Oslo fame, Tokyo Vice takes a look at the underworld of the Asian capital where a young American journalist begins to investigate the local warring gangs and teams up with a seasoned local detective. As the reporter-detective duo set out to seek truth and justice at any cost, they are faced with social, political, and legal challenges that also threaten their lives. The plot of the second season reads,...