Takuya Kimura Captivates Audience at ‘Grand Maison Paris’ Red Carpet Event, Invites Fans to Savor the Film as ‘Main Course’ after Special Drama Broadcast

Walking the red carpet (from left) are Takuya Kimura, Kyoka Suzuki, Ikki Sawamura (Photographer: Akinori Sawada)

On December 21, actor Takuya Kimura attended the red carpet event for the movie “Grand Maison Paris” (directed by Ayuko Tsukahara, to be released on December 30) at Cine City Square in Kabukicho, Tokyo. He arrived on a double-decker bus, and the audience along the roadside erupted in cheers. “I’m really surprised and delighted to be able to hold such an event in a special place like Shinjuku,” he said excitedly.

This film is an adaptation of the 2019 drama “Grand Maison Tokyo.” Set in Paris, the home of French cuisine, the story follows the protagonist’s quest to become the first Asian chef to earn three Michelin stars. After watching the first test screening, Kimura said, “When the end credits finished rolling and the light came into the screening room, I couldn’t help but want to thank everyone and shake their hands. That’s how warm this film turned out to be,” expressing his satisfaction.

Kimura and the main cast also challenged themselves by performing in French, just as much as in Japanese. The film is scheduled to be released in Paris, France, on January 8. Kimura expressed his deep gratitude, saying, “I’m very grateful that this film will be released in that city and country.” On the other hand, he made the audience laugh with a lighthearted joke, saying, “I’m not sure if the French we used in the film will be understood by the audience.”

Making an appearance on the rooftop bus (from left) are Kyoka Suzuki, Takuya Kimura (Photographer: Akinori Sawada)

The film’s release is set for December 30, just before the end of the year. In 2021, Jun Matsumoto from Arashi starred in “99.9,” which was also released on the same day and was a movie adaptation of a TBS Sunday drama series, just like “Grand Maison.” Before its release day, a special drama was broadcast, creating a buzz and recording a box office hit with over 3 billion yen in revenue. An entertainment industry insider commented, “Since ‘99.9’ was a big hit, we decided to follow the same format. We want people to come to the theaters with the excitement they felt from watching the drama and boost the New Year’s box office.”

On this day, Kimura also attended the advance screening of the TBS special drama scheduled for broadcast on December 29. He invited the audience to enjoy the drama as an appetizer and soup, and then to savor “Grand Maison Paris” as the main course when it is released the following day.