Joseph Gordon-Levitt To EP, Poised To Star In ‘Gaijin’ Drama Inspired By Ivan Orkin In Works At Hulu
Hulu is developing "Gaijin," a new drama in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to executive produce and star, marking another Japan-set project for the streamer following FX's acclaimed "Shōgun." The series comes from "Shōgun" co-executive producer Shannon Goss and is inspired by the real-life story of chef Ivan Orkin, founder of Ivan Ramen, giving Hulu a modern-day companion piece to its award-winning period drama.
The show follows an American culinary school dropout who moves to Tokyo with his young son after his wife's death, moving in with unfamiliar in-laws and pursuing his dream of opening a ramen shop amid cultural clashes and setbacks. Orkin and Goss executive produce alongside Gordon-Levitt and Jared Geller, with Lionsgate Television producing. Goss shared in a Shōgun Emmy win for Outstanding Drama Series, while Gordon-Levitt has several other projects in the pipeline, including "Pendulum" and an untitled Netflix AI thriller he wrote and directed.
In short
- Hulu developing "Gaijin," a modern Japan-set drama
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt to executive produce and likely star
- Story inspired by chef Ivan Orkin's Ivan Ramen origins
Explained simply
Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish, and running a ramen shop involves more than cooking: owners must build a business and find customers in a crowded food scene. Tokyo is the setting for many such shops, and moving there from another country can bring language and cultural differences as well as practical challenges.
The drama is inspired by American chef Ivan Orkin, who founded the Tokyo restaurant Ivan Ramen. It centres on an American father who moves to Japan with his son and tries to open a ramen shop while adjusting to life with his Japanese in-laws.
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