Followers of award-winning Japanese actor and J-pop idol Tomohisa Yamashita have something to crow about with the release of the HBO Asia Original…
Followers of award-winning Japanese actor and J-pop idol Tomohisa Yamashita have something to crow about with the release of the HBO Asia Original series “The Head,” a six-part subzero whodunit set in Antarctica that premieres on June 12 at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Go.
For the uninitiated, Tomohisa is one of Japan’s biggest stars, having won a string of best actor awards for his portrayals in “Flowers for Algernon” and “Code Blue The Movie,” the highest-grossing film of 2018 in Japan.
The 35-year-old multihyphenate was a member of the J-pop boy band News back when it still had nine members. When he departed the group in 2011 to pursue a solo career in music and films, he recorded chart-toppers of his own, including the dreamy love ballad “Hello” and the No. 1 hits “Change,” “Ai, Texas” and the irresistible “Love Chase.”
Right off the bat, Tomohisa wanted his Pinoy followers to know that he’s cooking up something for them. “I’d like to say hello, Philippines—and to my Filipino fans,” he said late last week when we got him to discuss his latest TV series. “I’m working hard to share ‘something’ with you in the near future. So, please stay tuned and stay safe!”
Meanwhile, his followers and sci-fi aficionados should get ready to tune in to “The Head,” helmed by Spanish filmmaker Jorge Dorado (“Anna,” “La Guerra”), when it begins its run on Friday.
Set in Antarctica, the survival thriller follows a beleaguered group of scientists recruited by an international research station called Polaris VI Antarctic Research Mission, whose job is to end global warming.
There are 57 crew members in the summer on this ice-covered tundra, but that number is pared down to 10 when the archipelago “turns dark” during the six-month winter in the “coldest place on Earth.”
The carefully chosen team is made up of scientists from all over the world who are tasked with maintaining operations during the long polar months, beginning April 29, the “last day of light” for the next six months!
Aki Kobayashi, Tomohisa’s microbiologist character, is part of this 10-member team headed by mission commander Erik Osterland (Richard Sammel) and world-renowned biologist Arthur Wilde (John Lynch). But three weeks before summer, commander Johan Berg (Alexandre Willaume) and his team return to the polar station, the “isolated” winter team suddenly stops communicating with the outside world.
The nearest help could only come from the Argentinean base, which is about 200 to 300 kilometers away.
