[NEWS] Takuya Kimura turns into Antarctic explorer for new drama

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He’s played the prime minister, a pilot, and a neuroscientist already, now SMAP’s Takuya Kimura (38) can add ‘historical South Pole Explorer’ to his list of drama roles, reports Sponichi Annex and Sankei Sports.

The Johnny’s star has been announced as the lead in TV company TBS’ 60th anniversary drama series “南極大陸〜神の領域に挑んだ男と犬の物語〜 (Nankyoku Tairiku ~Kami no Ryoiki ni Idonda Otoko to Inu no Monogatari~, The South Pole ~the story of the men and dogs who stood up to God’s field~)”, due to air in October 2011. The drama will tell the true story of the Japanese expedition team and their dogs who became the first people (and dogs) in the world to spend a year in Antarctica between 1957 – 1958 when much about the South Pole was still a mystery.

Kimura will play the deputy captain of the expedition team, a geologist who also looked after the team’s sled dogs.

In real life, the men faced temperatures of -50 degrees celcius and blizzards during their year in the South Pole. However, in 1958, the team was forced to abandon their fifteen dogs when they could not return to base. When the team returned a year later, miraculously two dogs had survived. This story has already been made into movies, including the 1983 Japanese film “Nankyoku Monogatari”, and also inspired the 2006 Disney film “Eight Below” starring Paul Walker.

It has been reported that the reunion will be this drama’s climax scene.

It has been reported filming for the drama is scheduled to begin in February in Nemuro, Hokkaido, and will take more than six months to finish.

“Just reading the script fires me up, even though the actual location is unimaginably freezing…

“As well as the story and the filming, I’m even more excited about being able to take on the challenge of facing the Inaccessible Land,” Kimura said.

It has been reported TBS are considering some on-location shoots in Antarctica at some point.

As for the dogs playing the other important role in the drama, it has been reported casting directors selected dogs who looked and behaved like the actual dogs in the 1950s expedition.