The Sunday theater “VIVANT” was well received in 2023. In addition to a star-studded cast, the film was shot on location in Mongolia for two months in the spectacular Kobi Desert and other locations, and the production cost was said to be 100 million yen per episode. Katsuo Fukuzawa, who directed the show, had been talking about the possibility of a sequel since that time, so it came as no surprise that it was decided. However, when Masato Sakai, Hiroshi Abe, and Fumi Nikaido…… were announced as the cast of the sequel, a big fuss broke out on the Internet over the fact that Ai Iinuma was not in the cast. She played the role of Riho Ota, the genius hacker “Blue Walker,” and attracted attention for the important role she played in the final film, cooperating with Nogi (Sakai) and his “other team. However, it was announced that Sumire Hanaoka would play her role in the sequel. An industry insider said, “People on the Internet are saying, ‘Iinuma will play the role of Sumire Hanaoka. However, it was announced that Sumire Hanaoka would play the role of Hanaoka in the sequel,” said an industry insider. Tanabe Agency, the agency to which Iinuma belongs, made a comment to a women’s magazine, which added fuel to the fire.
Grand Prix Debut
As for “Ai Iinuma,” who belongs to our company, her current affiliation contract with our company is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2026. If she is under contract until the end of March next year, we should be aware of her current activities, but we are not. Her last post on Instagram was on September 29, and its content was also to inform us of the final episode of the radio program “Ai Iinuma’s ‘To Love Tomorrow…'” (TBS Radio), for which she is a personality. There are rumors that Iinuma may fade away from the entertainment industry. Iinuma was selected as the most popular grand prix winner out of approximately 9,000 applicants in the TBS star development project “The Day I Become an Actress,” an audition program started in 2009 by the Tanabe Agency and Akimoto Yasushi. The winner was promised a starring role in the late-night drama “This First Love is Fiction,” and of course she was assigned to the Tanabe Agency. 22 years later she also appeared in the Sunday theater production of “Atom’s Child” starring Kento Yamazaki, and the following year she was cast in “VIVANT.