Tokyo Vice bosses refuse to accept Max series’ cancellation

‘We don’t accept the condolences yet,’ said executive producer Alan Poul

The showrunners behind crime drama Tokyo Vice have revealed that the series may return for a third season, despite its recent cancellation by HBO Max.

The show, which is an adaptation of journalist Jake Adelstein’s memoir of the same name, stars Ansel Elgort as a fictionalized version of Adelstein. It ran for two seasons from 2022 to 2024.

It was announced earlier this week that Max would not be picking up their option for a third season.

However, in a new interview with Variety, showrunner JT Rogers and executive producer Alan Poul said there had been an outpouring of support for the show and the next season may still go ahead regardless.

“We take the love,” said Poul. “We don’t accept the condolences yet.”

The producer went on to explain that the studio behind the show, Fifth Season, has also sold the series internationally.

Ansel Elgort in ‘Tokyo Vice’ (HBO Max)

“Max exists in North America, most of South America and a few European territories, and the rest of the world is sold by our friends at Fifth Season,” pointed out Poul. “And they’ve sold very well. It’s been a global hit. So we look to our partners.

“We haven’t even really put our heads together yet, because this is all very new. But there are many territories in Europe and Asia and Africa and Australia that still will want the show, and we have to see how our partners, Fifth Season, are going to prepare to respond to them.”

Rogers said he’d endeavored to end season two in a way that was satisfying, but also left the door open for future seasons. “I wanted to land the plane in a way that if, God forbid, there was never going to be any more, that it would have a satisfying arc,” he said.

“I felt we succeeded in that, which I’m very proud of, with many, many, many, many drafts of that last episode... But the idea was always, and certainly now, that if we can, we’d love to go forward. I have very clear ideas about the continued expansion of the world, following the people we know and new people as well.”

As to what the third season might have in store, Rogers added: “There’s all sorts of macro and micro planning and writing done and happening. But that’s all in the hopes of going forward. And I don’t want to share it because I want it to be an enjoyable surprise.”