Shin Ultraman

is a 2022 Japanese superhero ''kaiju'' film directed by Shinji Higuchi and written, co-produced, and co-edited by Hideaki Anno. A reimagining of ''Ultraman'', the film is a co-production between Toho Studios and Cine Bazar, and presented by Tsuburaya Productions, Toho Co., Ltd., and Khara, Inc. It is the 37th film in the ''Ultraman'' franchise, and the second reboot of a ''tokusatsu'' series to be adapted by Anno and Higuchi, after ''Shin Godzilla'', with '' Shin Kamen Rider'' to follow in 2023. The film stars Takumi Saitoh, Masami Nagasawa, Daiki Arioka, Akari Hayami, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Hidetoshi Nishijima, with Anno and Bin Furuya as Ultraman. In the film, an extraterrestrial accidentally kills a man while battling a ''kaiju'' and takes on his appearance and place at the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol to protect Earth from further threats.

In the summer of 2017, Anno was tasked with writing a proposal for a trilogy of ''Ultraman'' productions by Takayuki Tsukagoshi, the future chairman of Tsuburaya Productions. A year after completing the plan for the trilogy on January 17, 2018, Anno wrote the first draft of ''Shin Ultramans screenplay on February 5, 2019. However, his participation in the film had to be deferred until the completion of '' Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time''. Tsuburaya Productions officially announced the film had begun production on August 1, 2019. Principal photography took place during fall 2019 in Ibaraki Prefecture, Hiratsuka and Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kōfu and Minobu in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Ichihara in Chiba Prefecture, and wrapped in November. Post-production was decelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in editing taking roughly two-and-a-half years.

After being delayed from an early summer 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ''Shin Ultraman'' was theatrically released in Japan on May 13, 2022, to mixed reviews. The film has grossed worldwide and was the second highest-grossing Japanese live-action film of 2022 and became the most commercially successful ''Ultraman'' film. Tsuburaya Productions launched '' Shin Ultra Fight'', a spin-off web miniseries featuring stock footage from the film as well as entirely new footage on May 14, 2022. ''Shin Ultraman'' premiered in the United States at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival on July 23, 2022, and will be released to theaters nationwide on January 11 and 12, 2023. The film has received positive reviews from critics internationally, with praise for its ambition, direction, characters, editing, cinematography, visual effects, musical score, and action sequences, but criticism towards its structure and themes.

Plot

Following the invasion of several giant lifeforms, known as the Japanese government establish the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol to eliminate further threats. When the SSSP address the ''kaiju'' Neronga's attack on Hatsukaichi, a giant extraterrestrial dubbed "Ultraman" appears and annihilates the ''kaiju'' with his Spacium Beam. The explosion caused by the impact of Ultraman's arrival kills SSSP member Shinji Kaminaga. Thus, Ultraman takes his appearance and place, leaving the real Kaminaga's body in the forest where he died. Ultraman in the form of Kaminaga then bonds a friendship with SSSP analyst Hiroko Asami, but she is unaware of the original Kaminaga's fate.

The subterranean ''kaiju'' Gabora emerges in Kamikita. After U.S. B-2 bombers unsuccessfully ambush Gabora, Ultraman confronts the ''kaiju'' at a construction site. In order to prevent the ''kaijus radioactivity from causing harm, Ultraman kills it and flies off with its radioactive corpse. Shortly after the SSSP return to Tokyo, Alien Zarab reveals himself, claiming to be friendly. However, after meeting the country's prime minister, Zarab kidnaps Kaminaga and impersonates Ultraman to ruin his reputation. Videos of Kaminaga's transformation into Ultraman surface online, revealing his secret identity. Asami then finds Kaminaga's "Beta Capsule" device, which allows him to transform into Ultraman, ascertaining his true identity. Asami frees Kaminaga from Zarab but is captured by Zarab herself. Kaminaga transforms into Ultraman, saving Asami, exposing Zarab's disguise, and cutting the alien in two with the "Ultra Slash".

In order to demonstrate to humanity that they can become gigantic like Ultraman, Asami is kidnapped and transformed into a mind-controlled giant by Alien Mefilas. Mefilas turns her back to her original size, demonstrating good faith, and presents the SSSP with a Beta Box. Mefilas meets Ultraman to discuss symbiosis, but the latter declines after learning that Mefilas' machine can alter humanity's DNA, turning them into monsters; he also reveals to Ultraman that the government signed him up for affiliation, mocking his concern for humanity.

The SSSP assemble in a factory and decide to take Mefilas' Beta Box. Ultraman uses Asami's scent, due to her gigantification earlier, to track Mefilas' energy signature. He finds Mefilas at a meeting with government officials, and snatches his Beta Box, throwing it into the SSSP's aircraft. An angry Mefilas transforms into his true form to combat Ultraman. After noticing Ultraman's superior, Zōffy, observing his battle with Ultraman, Mefilas takes his Beta Box and leaves Earth.

Ultraman is teleported to the forest where Kaminaga's body is located. Zōffy tells him he must be punished for sharing his life force with a human because such an act is forbidden under the law of his home planet, the Star of Light. Zōffy, believing that humanity would pose a threat if they could evolve into giants, employs the ultimate weapon of mass destruction, Zetton, to eradicate them. Kaminaga leaves behind data for the SSSP on how to destroy Zetton in case he doesn't survive.

Ultraman is defeated by Zetton's artillery, after being hit by a fireball which sends him plummeting to Earth. Because Zetton used powerful attacks to counter Ultraman, it overheats and must cool down before recharging, giving the SSSP time to study the information left behind by Kaminaga. Later, they find Kaminaga unconscious and nursed him back to health. SSSP physicist Akihisa Taki and the "greatest minds in the world" determine for Ultraman to defeat Zetton, he must activate his Beta Capsule while in a transformed state. Thus, Kaminaga transforms into Ultraman one last time, flying into space as Zetton resumes its attack. He activates his Beta Capsule, creating a black hole that engulfs both him and Zetton. Zōffy rescues Ultraman, insisting that he must return to the Star of Light with him. Ultraman, on the other hand, wishes to stay on Earth and protect it. Zōffy refuses to compromise, thus Ultraman decides to sacrifice himself to resurrect Kaminaga. Zōffy questions Ultraman's decision to sacrifice himself to save an inferior race, but after witnessing their teamwork to defeat Zetton, he is forced to admire their tenacity in the face of death.

The SSSP greets Kaminaga as he opens his eyes, having received a second chance at life.

Cast

* Takumi Saitoh as Shinji Kaminaga, an executive strategy officer who worked for the National Police Agency Security Bureau before he was designated to the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol (SSSP). He is unintentionally killed by Ultraman during his fight with Neronga. Ultraman took his appearance and place. Saitoh has a fond memory of playing with Ultraman figures and his father worked on the 1973 TV series ''Ultraman Taro''. Saitoh had previously played a JSDF tank squadron commander named Ikeda in ''Shin Godzilla''.
* Masami Nagasawa as Hiroko Asami, an analyst who worked for the Public Security Intelligence Agency before she was appointed to the SSSP.
* Hidetoshi Nishijima as Kimio Tamura, the leader of the SSSP who formerly worked at the Ministry of Defense. The day before the film's release, Nishijima appeared as Tamura in two 24-second web-exclusive commercials for Procter & Gamble's dishwashing liquid Joy.
* Daiki Arioka as Akihisa Taki, an unparticle physicist who graduated from the Johoku University of Science. Taki is an ''otaku'' and has models of USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701) from ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', and ''Thunderbirds'' 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 from '' Thunderbirds'' on his desk.
* Akari Hayami as Yumi Funaberi, a universal biologist who worked at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology before she was appointed to the SSSP.
* Tetsushi Tanaka as Tatsuhiko Munakata, Chief of the SSSP
* Kyusaku Shimada as Taishi Okuma, the Prime Minister of Japan
* Ryō Iwamatsu as Hajime Komuro, the Minister of State for Disaster Management
* Tōru Masuoka as Kunihiko Kariba, the Minister of Defense
* Keishi Nagatsuka as Hayasaka, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Cmdr.
* Hajime Yamazaki as Seiichi Nakanishi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Masami Horiuchi as the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan
* Gō Rijū as the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister
* Sōkō Wada as Kagami, member of the National Police Agency Security Bureau
* Yutaka Takenouchi as a government official. In ''Shin Ultraman Design Works'', screenwriter Hideaki Anno indicated Takenouchi's character to be a reprisal of his role as Hideki Akasaka from ''Shin Godzilla''.
* Bin Furuya and Hideaki Anno as Ultraman (motion capture), an extraterrestrial from the Star of Light who came to Earth to protect humanity from giant monsters known as the "S-Class Species" and was dubbed "Ultraman" by Asami. Furuya and Anno have both portrayed Ultraman before; Furuya portrayed the titular hero in the original 1966 series, and Anno unofficially portrayed the character in his 1983 fan film ''Daicon Film's Return of Ultraman''.
** Issey Takahashi as the voice of Ultraman
* Koichi Yamadera as the voice of Zōffy, Ultraman's superior who tries to eradicate humanity with the weapon of mass destruction, Zetton, believing that they would pose a threat if they were able to evolve into giants. To reference misinformation about his first appearance in ''Ultraman'''s series finale, the character's Japanese name is deliberately spelled incorrectly in the film.
* Koji Yamamoto as Alien Mefilas, an extraterrestrial who tries to prove to humanity that they can also become giants. He asks Ultraman to become his ally but is turned down by him and later fights him due to their differing opinions regarding humanity.
* Kenjiro Tsuda as the voice of Alien Zarab, an extraterrestrial who kidnaps Kaminaga and impersonates Ultraman, only to be defeated by Ultraman himself.

Production

Crew

* Shinji Higuchi – director, storyboard artist, and cinematographer
* Hideaki Anno – various positions
* Katsuro Onoue – associate director and cinematographer
* Masayuki – assistant director and cinematographer
* Ikki Todoroki – deputy director, teaser poster designer, and cinematographer
* Hisashi Usui – executive producer
* Katsura Kurosawa – executive producer
* Akihiro Yamauchi – co-producer
* Kensei Mori – line producer
* Tohl Narita – original ''kaiju'' and extraterrestrial designs (posthumous)
* Satoru Sasaki – VFX director
* Atsuki Sato – VFX supervisor
* Hiromasa Inoue – VFX producer
* Masayo Ohno – VFX producer

Personnel are taken from Toho's official website, the film's theater pamphlet, and Anime News Network.

Development and writing

On December 28, 2013, nine years prior to ''Shin Ultraman'''s release, Hideaki Anno completed the draft for a reboot of the ''Ultraman'' franchise entitled and submitted it to Tsuburaya Productions on March 19 of the following year. Anno later reflected, "I wrote he scriptto some friends and their reactions were positive ... but at the time I was not able to finalize the content of the project in a way that satisfied me, so it was abandoned." A life-long ''Ultraman'' fan, Anno had made his directorial debut with his own fan film of ''Return of Ultraman'' for Daicon Film when he was a film student at Osaka University of Arts.

In the summer of 2017, Takayuki Tsukagoshi —who would later be appointed chairman of Tsuburaya Productions on November 16, 2017, after Hidetoshi Yamamoto, the chairman of Fields Corporation, failed to organize production— commissioned Anno to direct an ''Ultraman'' production and its two sequels, set to be released in 2020. A few months later, Anno submitted a recreation of ''Return of Ultraman Plot Memo'', to Tsukagoshi. On January 17, 2018, Anno finished the trilogy proposal for ''Ultraman'' productions in which he wrote:

"Our goal is to create a world of Ultraman that is not for children, but for the generation that watched Ultraman back then, and that they want to watch now that they are adults. We aim to create entertainment for adults that is consistent with the modern age, a coexistence of dreams and reality that can be depicted only with special effects images. To achieve this goal, we will draw an interesting work that emphasizes quality and sensitivity (even in terms of reality), glistening with the theme of invasion rather than a catastrophe. We will depict a realistic and hard-line, worldview depicted on a beautiful screen with a quality and a sense of externalities. The film depicts the current state of the Japanese people, who are vaguely anxious about an invasion that they do not really feel. It also aims to experience a world where Ultraman exists, a world that everyone desires and no one has ever seen before. However, this seems to be a difficult task."

A first draft of the script for the film was completed by Anno on February 5, 2019, however, his involvement in the film was put on hold for another year while he worked on '' Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time''. In ''Shin Ultraman Design Works'', Anno stated that he wrote the script with the intention that the film would be connected to his previous ''tokusatsu'' film, ''Shin Godzilla'': "The overall worldview of the film may be somewhat connected to that of ''Shin Godzilla''". However, he noted that "copyright management", obviated the film from being accredited as a sequel to ''Shin Godzilla'' and made it "hard to make a clear connection". Nevertheless, Anno still made some clear connections to its predecessor; the katakana for ''Shin'' being used film's title, ''Shin Godzilla'''s logo being displayed onscreen in the title sequence, Yutaka Takenouchi returning to portray a government official, and the subtitle "Giant Unidentified Lifeform" used to refer to the ''kaiju''.

Higuchi said that the crew "immediately ran into a practical problem" during development, because the film "didn't have as big a budget as those American MonsterVerse films. Thus, they "couldn't really destroy the world like they did" and instead "tried to compensate by coming up with a uniquely appealing screenplay and really interesting characters."

The project was unofficially announced by '' Nikkan Taishu'' on March 6, 2019, followed by an official announcement by Tsuburaya Productions on August 1, 2019, with the latter revealing Higuchi as the director and Anno as the screenwriter. Masami Nagasawa, Hidetoshi Nishijima and Takumi Saitoh were named to star in the film. The film would be co-produced between Toho Pictures and Cine Bazar and presented by Tsuburaya, Toho and Khara, with an aim for a 2021 release. Higuchi commented, "A baton has been entrusted to me that has been shining ever since I was a small child. I will solemnly strive to fulfill my responsibility to pass on that heavy, radiant baton created by my seniors." The rest of the supporting cast members were announced in September of that same year.

Design

Ultraman, the titular hero of the film, had his design unveiled at the 2019 Tsuburaya Convention. The concept is based on the 1983 oil painting by the late Tohl Narita.Multiple sources:
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* The first concept art was made by Hideaki Anno on October 3, 2018, under the likeness of Bin Furuya, the hero's original suit actor in the 1966 series. This redesign of the original hero was based on Anno's desire to revisit Tohl Narita's original design, going as far as to seek permission from Narita's son, Kairi. The design in question has the mask modeled after Akira Sasaki, the body frame of Furuya, and eliminating elements such as the three-minute warning light called the " Color Timer", and the back fin and peepholes that were part of the actor's costume. Furuya returned to portray the character with Anno via motion capture. Director Higuchi stated, "Without Furuya's physical features, such as his tall stature, long chin and arms, and large palms, it wouldn't have been possible to reproduce Ultraman's silhouette, appearance, behavior, etc. even with the latest technology available today." Likewise, Anno had experienced playing the titular hero in ''Daicon Film's Return of Ultraman''.

The crew struggled to reproduce Ultraman's silver skin color virtually. Higuchi explained in an interview, "Ultraman can't be sprayed with silver paint like in the old days. But if you use mirror-like silver and seriously calculate and depict the rays of light, there would be weird streaks on his arms and face... and his arms and face would look like mirrors that would be reflecting in each other." VFX supervisor Atsuki Sato added "when it comes to color, there are things you can't understand until you actually place the object on the stage, such as the reflection of the silver color on the body and its glittering effect. The hardest part was finding the right balance between reality and image."

Since the beginning of production, Anno and Higuchi had intended to utilize the 3DCG model of Godzilla from their 2016 film ''Shin Godzilla'' to depict the ''kaiju'' Gomess, who first appeared in episode 1 of Tsuburaya Productions' 1966 TV series ''Ultra Q''. Anno stated that "since Toho was a member of the 'Shin Ultraman''production committee we ere allowed to usethe original Godzilla model for Gomess." The concept art for Gomess was also customized from the original concept art for Godzilla's fourth form in ''Shin Godzilla''. Similarly, the digital set for Tokyo Station, where the second giant unidentified lifeform dubbed the "Mamouth Flower" appeared, was reused from ''Shin Godzilla'' in order to reduce the film's budget.

The third giant unidentified lifeform to appear in the film, Peguila, who served as the antagonist of episodes 5 and 14 in Tsuburaya Productions' ''Ultra Q'', was based upon an illustration by Yūji Kaida, which depicted "cold air flowing from the surface of its body". The fifth giant unidentified lifeform to appear in the film, Kaigel, who debuted in episode 24 of ''Ultra Q'', was also based on an illustration by Kaida, as well as the ''kaijus original concept art by Narita. Anno drew the CG model of the fourth ''kaiju'' to make an appearance in the film, Larugeus, who debuted in episode 12 of ''Ultra Q''. In ''Shin Ultraman Design Works'', Anno stated that he "tried to make it look like a real bird". The monsters Pagos, Neronga, Gabora were modified from the same computer-generated model to reduce the film's budget. The same method was also used for their first appearance in 1966, when they were adapted from the suit of Baragon featured in Toho's 1965 film ''Frankenstein Conquers the World''.

Tohl Narita's original concept art for episode 18 of ''Ultraman'' inspired Alien Zarab's design. Anno stated that Zarab's expressions could not be achieved in a costume, but only with 3DCG, with the body part being transparent. A model of Zarab's head was created but it did not appear in the final cut and was used instead to design his CG depiction. The crew considered altering the body surface of the CG model for Ultraman to recreate Zarab's impersonation of the titular hero, however, only the eye shape was changed, inspired by Narita's hexagonal-eyed Ultraman illustration.

A 3D scan of Ultraman Jack's mask worn by Eiichi Kikuchi in ''Return of Ultraman'' was used to design the face of Ultraman's superior, Zōffy. Thus, Zōffy's face inherits Jack's slightly asymmetrical eye angle. The character's design was heavily inspired by Narita's 1989 concept art for Ultraman in '' Ultraman: Towards the Future'', entitled . As part of the design process, the crew examined Zōffy's design in episode 39 of ''Ultraman'', specifically the black line in the center of his head and a pattern near the surface line of his body. Zōffy's ultimate biological weapon, Zetton, was based upon Narita's original concept art created for its first appearance in episode 39 of ''Ultraman''. However, the geometric features were emphasized in the final design.

Filming

On August 20, 2019, it was announced that Higuchi was looking for extras to take part in filming in the Autumn of 2019. On November 23, 2019, Higuchi made a surprise appearance at the 2nd Atami Monster Film Festival to announce that principal photography had wrapped. Location shooting took place at the Prefectural Assembly Building in Ibaraki Prefecture, Hiratsuka and Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kōfu and Minobu in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Ichihara in Chiba Prefecture.

Ultraman and Mefilas' first conversation in their human disguises was filmed at Asakusa Ichimon, an ''Izakaya'' restaurant in the Asakusa district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. After the film's release, the restaurant was inundated with reservations. Anno cut a scene filmed by Higuchi, in which, Asami kisses Ultraman farewell in his human disguise, Shinji, before he departed Earth to defeat Zetton, in consideration of the overall balance of the moment.

Several scenes were filmed in 4K using the cast and crew's personal iPhones and iPads.

Visual effects

Visual effects for the film were created by Shirogumi. The visual effects crew used previsualization to create the storyboards for the computer-generated imagery (CGI). Post-production supervisor Linto Ueda explained that "This time we also used it revisualizationto verify the angle that people would stare at a giant object when it was in front of them." According to Ueda, the crew also used photogrammetry to scan locations that would be used as computer-generated backdrops in the film's fight scenes, stating that "we he visual effects crewvisited power plants in the provinces, walked around Tokyo, and went with the director hinji Higuchiand film crew on location scouting trips to find image sources for the background." VFX supervisor Atsuki Sato added that "we took a lot of photographs from numerous angles using a drone and constructed 3DCG based on the differentiation in the data we captured to create the background."

Numerous visual effects sequences in the film are combined with original ''tokusatsu'' practical effects, such as extensive miniature effect shots. Ultraman's iconic Spacium Beam was created by optical artist Sadao Iizuka using the same technique he used for the original 1966 series, where he would draw a series of rays on paper and change their length and position slightly each time.

Editing

Yōhei Kurihara edited the film primarily using Adobe Premiere Pro. Director Higuchi edited a battle scene between Ultraman and one of the monsters. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, post-production was decelerated, resulting in a roughly two-and-a-half-year editing process.

Music

Shirō Sagisu scored the film. The score features several of Sagisu's unused songs which he composed for ''Shin Godzilla'' and ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', as well as several recycled tracks by Kunio Miyauchi. King Records released the film's soundtrack album entitled in Japan on June 22, 2022.

On April 8, 2022, it was announced that Kenshi Yonezu would sing the film's theme song "M87". According to Anno, Yonezu originally titled the song "M78" after Ultraman's fictional home galaxy in the original 1966 series, but Anno requested that the title be changed to M87 because he felt it was "more appealing in terms of setting." On May 25, 2022, ''Oricon News'' reported that the single had sold approximately 228,881 physical copies. On May 31, 2022, "M87" became No. 1 on the ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100. However, it was surpassed by Hey! Say! JUMP's "a r e a" on June 2, 2022. According to ''Natalie'', Hiroshi Itsuki's song "Little Bird" from the 1974 TV series, ''Submersion of Japan'', plays in the film during Kaminaga and Mefilas' conversation in an ''izakaya''.

Themes

Noah Oskow of ''Unseen Japan'' felt that the film criticizes Japan's weak government bureaucracy like its predecessor, ''Shin Godzilla'', which was a "meditation on ruinous government inaction and gridlock, specifically serving as a harrowing metaphor for the devastating 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant." In his review for ''Screen Daily'', Tim Grierson wrote that the film contains "a little commentary on humanity's place in the universe, and whether we’ve proven ourselves worthy of continuing as a species", adding: "this messaging isn't always elegantly executed but, like so much of the film, it's presented with such enthusiastic sincerity that it's hard to resist. The world may sometimes be a terrible, frightening place, but ''Shin Ultraman'' argues that a little decency can still go a long way".

Director Shinji Higuchi stated to Nerdist in 2022 that the film does not include the same "emphasis on the bureaucracy, politics, etc." as its predecessor, because "if we just did the same thing, it's kind of pointless." Rather, Higuchi explained that the crew intended the film to delineate how humanity and the Japanese government would deal with aliens and monsters as depicted in ''Ultraman''.

Release

Marketing

The project was first officially publicized on August 1, 2019, by Tsuburaya Productions and Khara, with the directors of ''Shin Godzilla'' proclaimed to be in charge of the film. On December 14, 2019, Tsuburaya unveiled a miniature model of Ultraman's new design as well as a new logo for the film, during the opening ceremony of the 2019 Tsuburaya Convention. On November 2, 2020, a human-sized Ultraman statue was unveiled outside the Tokusatsu Archive Center in Sukagawa, the home of ''Ultraman'' creator Eiji Tsuburaya, and a summer 2021 release date was announced. The Ultraman statue was later displayed alongside a statue of the 2016 incarnation of Godzilla and a statue of the 2023 incarnation of Kamen Rider as part of the Hideaki Anno Exhibition at the Abeno Harukas Art Museum, located in Abeno-ku, Osaka. Its first teaser trailer was released on January 29, 2021, and received high praise from filmmakers Guillermo del Toro, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, and James Gunn. Two days later, Bandai's official website confirmed that the two monsters that appear in the trailer were Neronga and Gabora of ''Ultraman''. During the 2021 Tsuburaya Convention, Tsuburaya Productions announced the new release date in Japan to be May 13, 2022, along with a new teaser trailer and a new poster.

On February 13, 2022, Toho, Khara, Toei, and Tsuburaya Productions announced a collaborative project titled "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" for merchandise, special events, and tie-ins. The project unites properties that Anno had worked on bearing the title "Shin", such as ''Shin Godzilla'', '' Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time'', ''Shin Ultraman'' and '' Shin Kamen Rider''. On March 17, 2022, the final theatrical release poster and a new theatrical banner for the film were released. As part of the Hideaki Anno Exhibition at the Abeno Harukas Art Museum in Abeno-ku, Osaka, a longer trailer was shown exclusively in theaters and a third teaser trailer was released on April 15. On April 18, 2022, an 82-second trailer for the film was released. To promote the film in Japan, McDonald's released a new version of their Chicken tatsuta fried chicken burger called the "Shin Tatsuta Miyazaki Specialty Chicken Nanban Tartar" on April 20, 2022.

The film was marketed in Japan under the tagline , which was a question Zōffy asked Ultraman in the series finale of ''Ultraman'' and reused in the film.

Theatrical

''Shin Ultraman'' was previously scheduled for an early 2021 summer release, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 2, 2022, the Film Classification and Rating Organization gave the film a rating of " G" (suitable for all ages) for its Japanese release. It had its red carpet premiere on May 9, 2022. The premiere took place in Kabukichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo along Godzilla Street, and the red carpet dubbed the "Shin Ultra Red Carpet", was 60 meters in length the fictitious height of Ultraman in the film. The film was released in Japan by Toho on May 13, 2022, and later to MX4D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema theaters on June 10, 2022. Due to the film's success, Takumi Saitoh, Masami Nagasawa, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Daiki Arioka, Akari Hayami, Koji Yamamoto, and Shinji Higuchi made a "thank you stage greeting" at a theater in Tokyo on May 25. From July 8 to 21, the film was screened alongside episode 33 of ''Ultraman'', "The Forbidden Words", and was screened alongside episode 39, "Farewell, Ultraman", from July 22 to August 4.

''Shin Ultraman'' had its festival premiere at the 2022 Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival on July 2, 2022. It had its North America premiere at the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 21, where it was packed to the 700-seat capacity, and in the United States two days later at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival, where it was also very successful. Higuchi attending both screenings. It was also screened at festivals in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Austin, Valdivia, Vienna, Sitges, Italy, Amsterdam, Chicago, Nantes, Tokyo, Hawaii (with Saitoh in attendance), and Paris.

On August 5, Tsuburaya announced that the film would be released in 37 territories worldwide (including Asia, the Middle East, and Africa). On September 12, ''Variety'' exclusively announced that The Exchange had obtained the sales rights for North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and other remaining countries and was introducing the film to buyers at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was theatrically released in the United Arab Emirates on September 15, 2022, opening in several cities, including Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Fujairah. In Thailand, the film was screened at the Paragon Cineplex in Siam Paragon, Bangkok on September 22. PVR Pictures distributed the film theatrically in India on September 23. In Vietnam, the film was released on September 30, in Indonesia, on October 5, and in Malaysia the following day. In Hong Kong, it was released theatrically on October 13, with Traditional Chinese subtitles. It was also released in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Mongolia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey.

Around November 17, 2022, AMC Theatres revealed the film would be released in their theaters on January 11, 2023. At the 2022 Anime NYC Ultraman Connection Panel, it was announced that Fathom Events will give it a two-day limited release in the United States from January 11–12, 2023. Fathom Events and Tsuburaya subsequently reported that the film will be screened in both subtitled and dubbed versions. Rawly Pickens directed the dub, which features the voices of Chris Hackney, Dawn M. Bennett, Emily Frongillo, Brook Chalmers, Kellen Goff, and Matt Shipman.

To celebrate its upcoming U.S. release, a screening of the film was held at Crunchyroll's Anime Frontier on December 4. Event director Peter Tatara stated that the staff were "beyond excited to host this incredible opportunity for our Anime Frontier family – giving them the chance to see this iconic character on the big screen before it hits theaters nationwide."

Home media

The first 10 minutes of the film were uploaded to Toho's YouTube channel on June 24, 2022, but were removed after 48 hours. In Japan, the film began exclusive distribution on Amazon Prime Video on November 18, 2022.Multiple sources:
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* In commemoration of Tsuburaya Productions' 60th anniversary, it will be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD on April 12, 2023.

Reception

Box office

Prior to the film's release, Tsuburaya Productions estimated that the film would gross . On its opening day in Japan (May 13, 2022) ''Shin Ultraman'' was 32nd at the box office in Japan having sold 191,302 tickets and earned . By its third day the film had been screened in 401 buildings nationwide, sold 641,802 tickets and grossed (), becoming the most commercially successful film in the ''Ultraman'' franchise, surpassing the 2008 film ''Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers'', and breaking the record that Shinji Higuchi's previous ''kaiju'' film, ''Shin Godzilla'' had on its third day. In IMAX theaters, the film grossed $1.13 million, making it the highest IMAX live-action film opening in Japan. On May 21, 2022, it was reported that the film had sold 1.032 million tickets and grossed (). The film was #1 at the Japanese box office,Multiple sources:
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* until it was overtaken by '' Top Gun: Maverick'' during its third weekend. During its fifth weekend, the film dropped to #3, behind '' Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero'' and ''Top Gun: Maverick'', and fell to #4 the following weekend with a gross of (). By its 45th day (June 27) the film had sold 2.69 million tickets and exceeded (). By July 3, the film had earned an accumulative total of (). On September 5, Crunchyroll stated that the film was the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film of 2022 until it was overtaken by Shinsuke Sato's '' Kingdom 2: To Distant Lands.'' ''Shin Ultraman'' was the tenth highest-grossing film released in Japan in 2022, having earned a total of , with ''Variety'' reporting it to be .

In the United Arab Emirates, it grossed ; in Vietnam it grossed ; in Hong Kong it grossed ; and in Turkey it has grossed . Overall, the film has grossed worldwide.

Critical response

''Shin Ultraman'' received mixed reviews in Japan, and positive reviews from foreign critics. On May 16, 2022, the online magazine ''FILMAGA'' ranked it fourth out of all Japanese films currently being screened in Japan, with an average rating of 3.81/5 based upon 11,244 reviews from review aggregator Filmarks. It has a score of 3.5/5 on '' Eiga.com'', based on 1191 reviews, with 46% of reviewers giving it a 4/5. The film is Higuchi's highest-rated film on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, holding a 100% approval rating based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 8.30/10.

Crunchyroll's Alicia Haddick felt it should pose as a model for American cinema on how to recreate a character for a new generation of moviegoers. Yukihiro Udagawa of ''The Nikkei'' recognized the ''kaiju'', Asami's gigantification, and Ultraman's battle with Zarab as its central intriguing aspects. ''The Asahi Shimbun'' film critic Takashi Shimizu regarded it as one of the best ''Ultraman'' productions because of its "distinctive perspective to the mysteries and contradictions that weren't depicted n ''Ultraman''. In his review for Nerdist, Kyle Anderson praised Higuchi's direction, especially his scenes that featured SSSP members and government officials. Both Noah Oskow from ''Unseen Japan'' and Screen Anarchy's Peter Martin considered the "likable" characters to be one of the reasons that the film is overall enjoyable. ''The Times of India'' acclaimed its direction, editing, and cinematography and '' IGN India'' praised the score.

Some critics also found fault with the film. A few reviews cited the episodic structure as the film's principal flaw due to its lack of themes; ''The Japan Times'' critic Matt Schley and ''ComicBook.com'''s Perry Spencer concurred the film is inferior to ''Shin Godzilla'' because it lacks several themes featured in its predecessor such as criticizing Japan's government. In his ''Newsweek Japan'' article, Tsunehira Furuya commented that while the film does not have the scripting and acting flaws of Higuchi's ''Attack on Titan'', it struggles to appeal to theatergoers unaware of ''Ultraman'' because it pays several homages to the series.

Accolades

Other media

Collaborative projects

Nagoya Railroad hosted a collaborative event from April 22, 2022, to June 26, 2022, that allowed participants to collect "Ultra admission tickets" at 8 stations with the word "Shin" in their titles. There were also collaboration events from April 29 to June 30, 2022, at the Yokohama Landmark Tower with a 10-meter balloon depicting Ultraman on display and merchandise on the 1st floor of Landmark Plaza, as well as novelties at shops and restaurants inside the building. On June 30, 2022, Toho added Neronga and the titular hero of the film to their mobile game '' Godzilla Battle Line'' as part of the "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" collaborative project. In addition, Zetton and Alien Mefilas were introduced to the game on August 31, 2022, and were be available as level-enhancing battle pieces until September 30, 2022. From July 7 to August 21, 2022, the Bandai Namco Cross Store at Yokohama World Porters in Naka-ku, Yokohama, hosted another "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" collaboration event called the "Shin Japan Heroes Amusement World". As part of a limited-time collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions' ''Ultraman'' franchise, GungHo Online Entertainment added the film's incarnations of Ultraman, Neronga, Gabora, Zarab, Mefilas, and Zetton to their mobile puzzle video game ''Puzzle & Dragons'' on July 18, 2022.

Books

The art book, , became available to purchase at theaters in Japan on May 13, 2022, distributed by Khara and was released to bookstores by Ground Works on June 24, 2022. Hideaki Anno authored the book, which contains over 500 artworks, including concept art, CG models, and 3D objects. In June 2022, Poplar Publishing released , a 32-page book celebrating the film's release and the 55th anniversary of the ''Ultraman'' franchise. On June 28, 2022, Kodansha released , a mook detailing every entry in the ''Ultraman'' series for adult fans of the franchise.

''Shin Ultra Fight''

A spin-off miniseries entitled , was streamed on Tsuburaya Productions' streaming service Tsuburaya Imagination from May 14 to July 4, 2022. ''Shin Ultraman'' director Shinji Higuchi partially directed and supervised the series while Hideaki Anno, the film's screenwriter, organizer, and producer, was in charge of planning. Cine Bazar, Tsuburaya Productions, Toho, and Khara co-produced the series; utterly consisting of 3D computer graphics, with 3 episodes repurposing footage from ''Shin Ultraman'' and 7 episodes featuring computer graphics by Studio Bros, Modeling Bros, and Shirogumi. Inspired by the 1970 TV series ''Ultra Fight'', the series attempted to duplicate the low production values of the original program by filming unscripted episodes, using motion capture performances without correction, and setting the fights in computer-generated environments situated in regular filming locations.

Potential sequels

In ''Shin Ultraman Design Works,'' Hideaki Anno revealed that he initially wrote a proposal for Tsuburaya Productions on January 17, 2018, proposing a trilogy of films, starting with ''Shin Ultraman'' and continuing with an untitled sequel and a remake of ''Ultraseven'' from 1967, titled . Ultraman's motion capture actor, Bin Furuya, expressed interest in making a cameo appearance in ''Shin Ultraseven'' because he played Ultra Guard member Amagi in ''Ultraseven'', and noted: "If the public watches he film5 or 6 times, there will likely be a story like ''Shin Ultraseven''."

See also

* Shin Japan Heroes Universe
** ''Shin Godzilla'' (2016)
** '' Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time'' (2021)
** '' Shin Kamen Rider'' (2023)

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

Official website



at Toho

Official web page
at Tsuburaya Productions
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''Shin Ultraman''
at Tsuburaya Imagination
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''Shin Ultraman''
at Tsuburaya Station
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''Shin Ultraman''
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{{Portal bar, Film, Japan, Speculative fiction, Television

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