Tokyo Vice


Mr. Vigilante

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Just saw this listed on Michael Mann's imdb page.  A new crime/thriller tv series that has Mann listed a Director/Producer/Writer.  Was curious if anyone knew any details?

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Michael Mann has been set by HBO Max to direct the pilot episode of Tokyo Vice, the drama series that stars Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe. Mann will potentially direct more episodes of the series in its freshman season, and he becomes executive producer alongside J.T. Rogers, John Lesher, Alan Poul, Emily Gerson Saines, Elgort, Destin Daniel Cretton and Watanabe.

Move brings an A-list filmmaker to one of HBO Max’s first drama series, and was written by Rogers based on Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat. The drama captures Adelstein’s  daily descent into the neon soaked underbelly of Tokyo, where nothing, and no one is truly what or who they seem. It is informed by his memoir Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter On The Police Beat In Japan.

Production on the series begins in February on location in Japan. Endeavor Content is serving as the studio as well as handling international sales.  Mann, who is in Japan casting and scouting, has put his indelible stamp on series that include Miami Vice, Crime Story, Robbery Homicide Division and Luck.

https://deadline.com/2019/10/michael-mann-direct-pilot-tokyo-vice-ansel-elgort-ken-watanabe-hbo-max-1202766347/

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  • 2 years later...

Hey, all! So a few episodes of this are out now. Haven’t seen. Looks interesting, can’t say if there’s a vibe here, music or directing or etc. Still it says “Vice” so…

Yes, IMDb says Michael Mann did an episode of this. Would be interested to hear his overall involvement (I.e. if he was consulted on the series at-large).

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've seen eight episodes. Mann directed the pilot, titled "The Test".

I like it. It takes place in the late 90s. The main characters (all outsiders to a certain degree) are well developed.

The western actors speak Japanese really well, which makes suspending disbelief a bit easier. 

Yakuza, corrupt cops, ambitious reporters and people running from their past. All interesting stuff.

One of the funniest lines: 

These guys are talking about a new movie called, "The Matrix", which has just recently been released.

One of the lead guys walks in and they ask him, "Hey, have you seen The Matrix? 

"Yeah. Why?"

"Red pill or blue pill?"

"Which one makes you shut the f__k up and do your job?"

:)

This shot (from the second episode - NOT directed by Mann) reminded me of this shot from "The Insider".

image.thumb.png.8e7234aa416b34adca0fe4bf402ac3dd.png

image.png.4850ee992f061a4a82e7160f61227950.png

Edited by OCBman
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