Lee Je-hoon’s Taxi Driver has been making waves since its debut in 2021. As soon as SBS TV dropped the superhit live-action adaptation, it caught many’s attention. And now, with its successful two seasons in hands, fans expect to see more of Lee Je-hoon as Kim Do-gi. Surprisingly, the network has dropped a much-anticipated update. So, will there be a Taxi Driver Season 3? Well, things are in the audience’s favor. So, keep reading to know the exact details.
But before that, let’s briefly look at the Taxi Driver plotline. The K-drama is an adaptation of the popular webtoon The Deluxe Taxi (Red Cage). That follows the revenge company ‘Rainbow Taxi’ led by Kim Do-gi, which helps others fight against wrong deeds. He is a KMA graduate who offers a revenge call service to those who seek vengeance. However, both seasons have seen several unexplored layers of the revenge call service company, including the backstory of Do-gi. With the massive cliffhanger left in the second season, more layers might be explored later in Taxi Driver Season 3. Let’s see!
Taxi Driver Season 3 Is Officially Renewed!
The second season of Taxi Driver dropped its finale on April 15, 2023. And soon after its finale, the fans received a hearty surprise when a SBS representative announced Taxi Driver Season 3 was on the horizon. The representative told the news outlet OSEN that the show had been renewed for the next outing. As soon as the news broke, fans took to social media to share their excitement. Well, there is no doubt that the show is a massive hit and has surpassed several popular K-dramas in the same year.
In fact, the production team was in talks for the potential Taxi Driver Season 3 as soon as season 2 wrapped up. Thus, it’s clear enough that the third season was always in plan. Besides this, the viewership has also played a crucial role in renewing the show for the next outing. SBS’s Taxi Driver Season 2 soared to its highest viewership. The sophomore run also broke its own record set by the pilot season. According to Nielson Korea, the viewership graph steadily rose, with the pilot episode receiving 12.8% viewership.
However, the viewership figure exponentially grew, with mid-season receiving 17.0% average viewership in Seoul. Not so surprisingly, the show broke all the records again by scoring a 21.0% rating in the finale, marking an all-time high for Taxi Driver. As per Nielson Korea, the series has been loved by people of all demos. It has also broken the record of Real Has Come, setting the stage for Taxi Driver Season 3. Thus, there’s no brainer why the network renewed the show for the next run just after its sophomore run wrapped up.
Has Taxi Driver Season 3 Production Begun?
Soon after this official statement, the production team stated, “It’s confirmed that we will have season 3 (Taxi Driver).” However, they needed to discuss the third season with the actors and writers. But since the statement came in mid-2023, it is believed that production has been started. This is because the lead actor, Lee Je-hoon, took to Instagram to thank his fans for showering love. He also thanked all the creative team members involved in the second season’s production.
Lee Je-Hoon stated: “I will never forget the writer and director,” who worked hard on making the season 2, “as well as all the staff, producers, and actors.” He also thanked everyone for their hard work. But before closing the statement, Lee Jo-Hoon hinted that Taxi Driver Season 3 is in the works. His statement, “Let’s meet again with a smile.” The actor who played Do-gi also asked his fans to stay safe and not get sick or hurt “till the day we meet again.”
But as of now, neither the production house nor the studio has dropped any hints of production. In fact, the series cast hasn’t yet shared any behind-the-scenes snaps from the set. Thus, it remains unclear whether the filming for the next season has begun. But it’s unlikely Taxi Driver K-drama Season 3’s filming has started. This is because Lee Je Hoon is currently busy with other work. Is it?
Is Lee Je Hoon Taking A Break?
Lee Je Hoon is currently working on his latest K-drama series, Chief Detective 1985, a prequel to the classic series Chief Inspector. That ran from 1971 to 1989, achieving an all-time high viewership back then. Since the series is currently on-air, so will the actor return to film Taxi Driver Season 3? Further, Lee Je Hoon is currently recovering. On October 1, 2023, he was rushed to the hospital after having severe abdominal pain.
It was later revealed that he had ischemic colitis and immediately received an emergency surgery. Due to this emergency health crisis, the actor took a break from his hosting duties as he was set to co-host the 28th Busan International Film Festival with actress Park Eun-bin. But since he’s doing fine now and has dropped some behind-the-scenes clips, it’s clear that the filming has already started.
Taxi Driver Season 3: Cast Details
There won’t be Taxi Driver without Lee Je-Hoon, so indeed, he will return to reprise his role as Kim Do-gi. In fact, time and again, he has been hinting at his return as the 707th Special Mission Group captain. However, the network hasn’t yet revealed who else will return for the next season. But it’s safe to say that the entire Rainbow Taxi group will return. These include Kim Eui-sung as Jang Sung-chul, Jang Hyuk-jin as Choi Kyung-goo, Pyo Ye-jin as Ahn Go-eun, and Bae Yoo-ram as Park Jin-eon.
Unfortunately, Esom won’t return as Kang Ha-na since she wasn’t a part of season 2. So, it’s likely that she won’t return for Taxi Driver Season 3 as well. As for Shin Jae-ha, it’s unlikely that he will return as On Ha-Jun/Kim Dan-woo. This is because his identity and heinous side were revealed in the previous season. But again, anything can happen. The show might also see some new faces, taxi drivers, and a new infamous villain.
What To Expect From Taxi Driver Season 3?
The second season concluded with Do-gi successfully defeating his biggest enemy and exposing the drug ring. Since he is alive, he and his group will return to deal with more cases. But the last we saw, Do-gi dressed up in his Captain’s uniform, giving Moon Chae-won’s Oh Mi-Seo a cold shoulder. This suggests that Taxi Driver Season 3 will dive deeper into their past. There’s no denying that something is odd between them, and soon, the next season will explore this layer, too.
Although the drug ring is exposed, it looks like the mastermind is still on the loose. So, it will indeed create more trouble for Do-gi, as he is on the radar of many killers. Further, in the finale, he faked his own death. Now that he is alive, it will indeed attract the mastermind’s attention. Apart from this, Taxi Driver generally focuses on individual cases. So, several exciting cases are aligned to explore next.
Taxi Driver Season 3: Release Date
As we said earlier, season 3 has just undergone production. So, it’s unlikely that the series will return earlier than expected. Speaking of the Taxi Driver Season 3 release date, initially, the show was expected to return in the fall of 2023. But it never happened. Now that we know the actor is doing great, the show will soon hit the screen. So, it will air sometime in the fall of 2024. This is all for now. Stay tuned. TechRadar247 will keep you updated.