Japanese Adaptation of ‘Suits’ Renewed for Second Season

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – A second season of the Japanese adaptation of hit drama show “Suits” has been green-lighted at leading broadcaster Fuji Television. NBCUniversal Formats, which handled the deal, says that it is the first time ever that a U.S. drama adaptation is renewed.

Production of the second season will begin this month, with Shin Hirano in the director’s chair. Episodes will begin airing from April in FujiTV’s prime time Getsuku drama slot, on Mondays at 9pm.

The legal drama show was originally created by Aaron Korsh and produced by UCP with USA Network airing the first season in 2011. The ninth and final season played on USA Network last year. Format rights were also previously licensed to South Korea’s KBS, which adapted it with ratings success in 2018.

Hiroyuki Goto (“Hana-Kimi,” “Change, Beautiful World”) and Toshio Arai (“Daughter of Lupin,” “Comte de Monte – Cristo,” “Cocoa”) serve as producers of the Japanese retread. Hiroyuki Komine (“Suna No Utusuwa,” “Giver: Revenge’s Giver,” “Miss Pilot”) is scriptwriter. The deal was brokered by NBCUniversal Formats’ director of Asia format sales liaison, Linfield Ng.

“I’ll do my best to depict the fast-paced drama, localizing it and striking the perfect balance between the original story and Japanese culture,” said Goto in prepared remarks.