Hit spy drama ‘Vivant’ heads to the big screen

Controversial spy drama “Vivant” is taking its tangled web of espionage, double-crosses and intrigue to the big screen.

A film version of the hit TBS drama starring Masato Sakai will open in theaters Dec. 4, according to an announcement made immediately after the second-season finale aired Nov. 8. The film promises an epic new adventure while continuing the season’s storyline.

The second-season finale was a ratings hit, drawing an average household audience share of 21.8% in the Kanto region, according to figures released by Video Research on Nov. 9. The figure was the series’ highest yet, surpassing the first-season finale’s 19.6% share. Among commercial dramas aired since 2019, the beginning of the Reiwa Era, the recent “Vivant” finale ranks second, behind the 32.7% share recorded by the TBS series “Hanzawa Naoki” for its finale in 2020.

A sprawling spy tale of competing loyalties and hidden agendas, “Vivant” debuted in July 2023. It follows Yusuke Nogi (Sakai), a seemingly ordinary trading company employee who becomes embroiled in a covert operation involving Beppan, an elite secret military intelligence unit within Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Tasked with fighting threats to national security, Nogi becomes entangled with a mysterious organization known as Tent, led by Nogon Beki (Koji Yakusho) and based in the fictional Republic of Balka.

The second season, which began airing in July, raised the stakes with the introduction of a fictional Chinese intelligence agency as an antagonist to Beppan. The portrayal drew criticism in China, with real-world ramifications extending beyond the screen. The season also introduced a Russian intelligence angle, hinting at a wider international conflict in the upcoming film.

In a post-finale video, Sakai hinted that the film would reveal the truth behind several unusual details introduced in the final episode. “The new adventure will be on the big screen,” he said.

TBS has also announced that the film will receive a simultaneous IMAX release. Advance tickets went on sale at midnight on Nov. 8.