EXCLUSIVE: Hulu, the streaming home of FX’s Emmy record-breaking Shōgun, is developing another drama about a Westerner’s adventures in Japan, this time set in the 21st century. The project, titled Gaijin, Japanese for foreigner or outsider, comes from Shōgun co-executive producer Shannon Goss. It is executive produced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt with an eye for him to star. Lionsgate Television is the studio.

Inspired by Ivan Orkin’s real-life story that led to the creation of Ivan Ramen, Gaijin is about an American 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 (Gordon-Levitt) 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. Through hardships, culture clashes and humorous moments lost in translation, Ivan will, over the course of the series, take on the Herculean task of building a business and rebuilding a life.

Goss and Orkin executive produce alongside Gordon-Levitt and Jared Geller via Hit Record and Nickel City Pictures’ Mark Fasano, Matthew Goldberg, Michael Blustein and Andrew Gottlieb.

New York chef 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.

Goss is a writer/co-executive producer on Shōgun, sharing in the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy win for Season 1. She also recently co-executive produced AMC’s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Goss is repped by WME and 3 Arts.

Gordon-Levitt, recently seen in Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man, has coming up movies Pendulum for Vertical, in which he stars alongside Phoebe Dynevor, Jacki Weaver and Norman Reedus, and AI thriller 2034 for Netflix, which he co-wrote and directed, with Rachel McAdams, Jeff Daniels, Joel Edgerton, Caleb McLaughlin and Alfre Woodard starring. 3rd Rock From the Sun alum Gordon-Levitt, whose recent series credits include Mr. Corman, Super Pumped and Poker Face, is repped by WME and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy.

Comments On Deadline Hollywood are monitored. So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.

Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );