Why Was American Gigolo Canceled And Why Won't It Get Picked Up Anywhere Else?

Starring Richard Gere as a Los Angeles sex worker with an upper-class client list, the noir-tinged 1980 thriller "American Gigolo" remains a stylized look at early-'80s opulence that revels often in the vapid, alienated existence many were leading amid the gloss and glamour. The film proved divisive among critics and audiences upon release, though these days it's regarded by some as a low-key early masterpiece from Paul Schrader.

It remains to be seen if Showtime's "American Gigolo" sequel series will earn such accolades. Picking up the story 15 years after the film, the series finds Jon Bernthal taking over the lead role of Julian Kaye. While many praised Bernthal's work in the reboot, critics and viewers still bestowed upon the series a decidedly rotten Tomatometer score. It's tough to say how that icy reception played into Showtime's decision to cancel the series, but Deadline claims the axe fell in large part because Paramount bosses sought to fine-tune Showtime's slate of originals ahead of its streaming merge with Paramount+.

That merge also brought the axe down on Showtime's "Let the Right One In," and the Shailene Woodley vehicle "Three Women," the latter of which never made it to air. "Three Women" has, however, already found a new home on Starz, with Deadline reporting "Let the Right One In" was also being shopped. The same apparently cannot be said for "American Gigolo," with Deadline alluding to the series' production troubles as a possible red flag for prospective partners thinking about picking it up.  

Those troubles reportedly cost "American Gigolo" creator and showrunner David Hollander his job late in the production phase. As reported by Deadline, Showtime bosses removed Hollander from his post after an internal investigation. The behind-the-scenes shakeup on "American Gigolo" likely resulted in creatives trimming the episode count from the planned 10 to the eight that actually made it to air. Though many involved in the production have remained quiet since the cancellation, those troubles may have left a bad taste in their collective mouths, meaning it might be preferable to let the series end, rather than search for a new home.

As for Showtime, the network has already taken decisive action to move on, having completely scrubbed the eight-episode first season of "American Gigolo" from their various platforms altogether. That approach continues an alarming trend in Hollywood that's seen studios and streamers erasing products from existence rather than letting them live in the digital realm. Suffice it to say, but when streamers and studios start removing shows from their platforms altogether, it's tough to keep the train rolling anywhere else in Hollywood. And it's easy enough to understand potential backers balking at picking up an already canceled series with a troubling production history despite the star power involved.

In any case, if Rosie O'Donnell's recent comments ring true, her "American Gigolo" co-star Jon Bernthal may not be particularly interested in a second season anyway. As such, it seems increasingly likely we've seen the last of the series.