Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Star In Hulu's 'Gaijin'
The drama series, inspired by chef Ivan Orkin's real-life story, follows an American culinary school dropout who opens a ramen shop in Tokyo after his wife's death
Hulu is developing a drama series titled Gaijin, inspired by the real-life story of Ivan Orkin, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt set to executive produce and star. The series follows an American culinary school dropout who moves to Tokyo with his young son after his wife's death and opens a ramen shop.
The main character, Ivan, is a culinary school dropout who spontaneously moves to Tokyo with his young son following his wife's death. Desperate to maintain a connection to his wife's home country, Ivan plunges headfirst into life in Japan. He moves in with his in-laws, whom he barely knows and barely likes, and takes action on a long-held dream of opening his own restaurant – in this case, a ramen shop.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to star in the series as Ivan, alongside executive producing with Shannon Goss, Jared Geller, Mark Fasano, Matthew Goldberg, Michael Blustein, and Andrew Gottlieb. Lionsgate Television is the studio behind the series.
Ivan Orkin, the inspiration for the series, is a successful chef with branches of his Ivan Ramen shops in Tokyo, New York, and London. The real-life Orkin became famous for opening successful ramen shops in Tokyo, Japan before expanding Ivan Ramen to his home town and London and starring on Season 3 of Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
## Why it matters The series is a significant departure from FX's Shōgun, which also streams on Hulu, and is set in the 21st century. Stories about Japan with its rich history and traditions have always fascinated Western audiences, and Hulu is now betting on Japan's allure with this new show. The success of Shōgun, which became a cultural and streaming sensation, leading to historic Emmy wins, has likely influenced Hulu's decision to develop Gaijin.
The series does not have a premiere date yet, but with Joseph Gordon-Levitt on board to star and executive produce, it is likely to generate significant interest. As the series develops, it will be interesting to see how it explores the cultural clashes and humorous moments that Ivan experiences as he builds a business and rebuilds a life in Japan.
