American Gigolo Canceled by Showtime – Season 2 Is Not Happening

By Jonathon Wilson
Published: October 23, 2022 (Last updated: January 27, 2024)
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American Gigolo Canceled by Showtime - Season 2 Is Not Happening
American Gigolo Promotional Image (Credit to Showtime)

American Gigolo on Showtime is a remake, or I suppose reinterpretation, of the 1980 film of the same name directed by Paul Schrader. While it strips that film of some of its essential style and sexuality, the eight-part series has been better developed as a whodunit, and thanks to some excellent casting and pretty solid writing, fans have been sucked into the ongoing mystery. However, fans who embraced the series will be sad to know that Showtime canceled it – there will not be a Season 2.

American Gigolo Season 2 Canceled

January 27th, 2024 Update

It was announced by Deadline on January 23  that Jon Bernthal will not return for American Gigolo – Season 2 is not canceled and is not in production. One of the rumored reasons is that Showtime’s consolidation with Paramount+ meant that difficult decisions had to be made on their slate.

The TV show was cursed from the start, with reports of misconduct leading to an investigation, and a showrunner change. It was lucky that we managed to get Season 1 aired.

October 23rd, 2022 Update

At the time of writing Showtime has not officially made a decision regarding the future of American Gigolo. However, despite the show having been able to sustain its viewership, signs do, unfortunately, point to this show being canceled.

Showtime was obviously hoping to coast on the name value of the cult classic original, and to an extent that worked out, generating a degree of initial interest around the show. However, a disappointing reception among both critics and audiences didn’t help to improve ratings that have sustained but nonetheless seem a touch on the low side.

Showtime tends to be indecisive when it comes to this sort of thing. Your Honor was initially intended as a limited series but, due to exceptional ratings, it was renewed for a second season. This sets a precedent, but American Gigolo hasn’t done the kind of numbers that the network would need to see in order to justify this decision, especially since, between the cast and the production, this can’t be an inexpensive show to produce.

We predict that American Gigolo will be canceled.

What Could American Gigolo Season 2 be about?

While it seems very much like the upcoming finale will tie the events of the first season up quite neatly, there is still potential here for more story. Even if the present-day mystery is solved, Julian’s time in prison could yield plenty more tales, especially with Jon Bernthal being such a compelling and versatile actor.

We could also focus on Isabelle’s rise to power in Julian’s absence, perhaps from the perspective of one of the other escorts. It’d be easy to build all kinds of mysteries and crimes around that. It’s also worth suggesting that Detective Sunday could be the link between seasons. Rosie O’Donnell is playing a fun character that people seem to like, and she could investigate a brand-new mystery that has nothing to do with Julian, but that could still rope in characters from this season, such as Paloma, and perhaps even Julian as a cameo.

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