Emmy winner Umut Aral to direct Kerem Bürsin's "Grand Maison İstanbul"

On October 23, 2026, journalist Birsen Altuntaş reported that the series "Grand Maison İstanbul" will be directed by Umut Aral, an International Emmy Award winner. The project is a Turkish adaptation of the Japanese drama "Grand Maison Tokyo," and the role of chef Ateş Leventoğlu will be played by Kerem Bürsin. The series is among the ambitious titles of Prime Video's new season presented at a meeting last Tuesday by Prime Video Türkiye head Alptuğ Çopuroğlu.

The drama will have 8 episodes, with filming planned for December. The project's slogan reads: "One kitchen. Two lives. Love, betrayal, intrigue, friendship — everything is tested in the fire of the kitchen." The lead characters will be chefs Ateş Leventoğlu and Defne; talks for the role of Defne are ongoing. Prime Video's description promises a story about two chefs in one of Istanbul's most prestigious kitchens: a professional partnership that grows into love, complicated by secrets, betrayals and love triangles.

In November 2025, Umut Aral, together with the team of the series "Deha," received the International Emmy Award in the Best Telenovela category. It was the only Turkish win at the 53rd ceremony.

The project itself became known in August: according to Birsen Altuntaş, it is being prepared by Dass Yapım for Amazon Prime Video, with a script by its writers' room. Filming was planned to take place in Urla, near İzmir. For the role of Defne, TGRT Haber reported on August 6 that Sıla Türkoğlu had been offered the part and an answer was awaited, but there is no official confirmation of her participation. TGRT Haber also reports that filming of Bürsin's movie "Çizginin Dışında" with Alina Boz has been postponed for now. The original "Grand Maison Tokyo" is a 2019 Japanese drama.

Kerem Bürsin was born in Istanbul, spent his childhood in different countries and finished high school in the United States (Texas). He gained wide popularity in Turkey through the role of Kerem Sayer in "Güneşi Beklerken" (2013–2014), and is known to international audiences from "Sen Çal Kapımı." In 2024, the film "Mavi Mağara" was released on Prime Video; Bürsin co-wrote the script with Osman Kaya and starred in it alongside Devrim Özkan.