‘Tokyo Vice’ Canceled At Max After Two Seasons

Max has canceled its drama series Toyko Vice after just two seasons.

Producers on the show confirmed the news during a panel at the Produced By conference on Saturday, according to Deadline.

Although the series was originally pitched as a two-season show and Ansel Elgort had only signed on for two seasons, creator J.T. Rogers had been optimistic about getting a third season, telling THR in April that he had “a whole story ready to go.”

The events of the series, which were based on the nonfiction book by Jake Adelstein, concluded with the Season 2 finale titled “Endgame” on April 4. The series centered on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and Tokyo’s active underbelly.

“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 we asked to end season one with a series of cliffhangers, and they said yes when we asked for two extra episodes so we could land the plane in the way [creator] J.T. [Rogers] had always envisioned,” said Rogers and director Alan Poul said in a joint statement.

They added: “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. 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 two, has been overwhelming. It’s been thrilling to find out how deeply viewers have engaged with our characters and to hear how they are clamoring for more. We know there is more story to tell. Of course, we’ll see what the future holds, but we are indeed grateful to have been able to share this story on Max until now.”

Developed by Bob Greenblatt, Kevin Reilly, and Sarah Aburey at Max, Tokyo Vice was picked up straight to series in mid-2019 and was supposed to launch when the platform did in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed production and ultimately its release.

Season 1 debuted to positive reviews, earning an 89 percent average among critics and a 92 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“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,” continued Rogers and Poul. “We thank J.T., Alan, Ansel, Ken [Watanabe], Fifth Season, and [Tokyo TV station] Wowow for their partnership on this wholly unique modern noir thriller.”