Ultraman is getting an animated movie at Netflix with an all-new story. The world's greatest giant superhero has seen something of a surge in international stardom. An anime was successfully launched on Netflix, and Marvel is currently publishing a second comic book based on the franchise. The company behind Ultraman, Tsuburaya Productions, will soon be releasing the highly-anticipated Shin Ultraman, which is being produced by Neon Genesis Evangelion's Hideaki Anno. Sadly, the film was delayed from its summer 2021 release.
In 1966, Ultraman aired on television, forever impacting Japanese popular culture. The concept of a giant hero from outer space bonding with a human to fight evil monsters and aliens was a winning formula. Following the original show came Ultraseven, a more serious installment introducing the idea that Ultraman could take the form of a human to blend in with the inhabitants. Ultraman has received over 25 series. The latest show, Ultraman Trigger, was announced in April 2021. With a new series, season 2 of the Netflix anime in development, and Shin Ultraman coming, the franchise has never been bigger. On top of all that, there's now another new project to anticipate.
Tsuburaya has announced a CG-animated Ultraman movie is in development at Netflix. It is not related to the anime series, but will tell an original story. Shannon Tindle, who has worked on films such as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, is directing. John Aoshima, who directed a number of Gravity Falls episodes, is co-directing. Alongside Tindle, Marc Haimes wrote the script. Check out the official plot synopsis and some concept art below.
Baseball superstar Ken Sato returns to his home country of Japan to pick up the mantle of Earth-defending superhero Ultraman, but quickly finds more than he bargained for when he’s forced to raise the offspring of his greatest foe, a newborn Kaiju. Struggling to balance the roles of teammate and new father, Ken must confront his own ego, his estranged father, and the conniving Kaiju Defense Force to rise up and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman.
Alongside Tsuburaya, Industrial Light and Magic is the production company of the film. According to Tindle, the project "began as an original story" inspired by his "love for Eiji Tsuburaya’s Ultraman," but "became an actual Ultraman film" thanks to Tsuburaya and Netflix. The director teases a "unique take on Ultraman." Sadly, no release window was revealed. The image above provides a look at the animation, with an Ultraman design clearly based off the original. Tsuburaya CEO Takayuki Tsukagoshi is looking forward to "families around the world" fostering "feelings of courage, hope and kindness" as they watch the film. According to Variety, the film plans to cast both western and Japanese stars.
Although there's no footage yet, the CG-animated Ultraman film certainly looks promising. The idea of Ultraman raising a baby Kaiju is unique, so it will be interesting seeing how that storyline develops over the course of the film. It's not known if the plot will utilize established foes or create new ones. Either way, the new Ultraman movie sounds like a worthy addition to the long-running series.
Source: Tsuburaya Productions, Variety