We haven’t seen any directorial work from Michael Mann in a while. The filmmaker hasn’t returned to the director’s chair since 2015’s “Blackhat.” Well, that’s about to change thanks to the HBO Max limited series, “Tokyo Vice.”
As seen in the trailer, “Tokyo Vice” follows the story of an American journalist, in the late ‘90s, trying to make a name for himself in Japan. While trying to be the best damn journalist, the American finds himself getting deeper and deeper into the Tokyo criminal underworld, where he crosses paths with some dangerous people.
“Tokyo Vice” stars Ansel Elgort, who was recently seen in the Oscar-nominated film, “West Side Story.” Elgort, of course, has recently been in a heap of controversy over the past couple of years, as he finds himself accused of sexual misconduct. This has led to him not really having many projects arriving and being left off the publicity for “West Side Story.” But there’s no denying he’s all over the marketing for “Tokyo Vice,” as the leading man of the series. He’s joined by Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Tomohisa Yamashita, and more in the cast.
The series comes from writer-creator J.T. Rogers. As mentioned, the pilot episode is actually helmed by the legendary filmmaker, Michael Mann. He’s joined by Destin Daniel Cretton and Hikari, who finish off the directing duties.
“Tokyo Vice” debuts on HBO Max on April 7. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
Loosely inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat, the crime drama series, filmed on location in Tokyo, captures Adelstein’s (played by Ansel Elgort) daily descent into the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo in the late ‘90s, where nothing and no one is truly what or who they seem.