Netflix revealed on Monday that Ultraman: Rising, the highly anticipated Ultraman CG animated film produced in collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions, will have its world premiere at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, before launching online on June 14.
Along with the film's premiere, the “Making Of” panel will feature director Shannon Tindle, co-director John Aoshima, art director Sunmin Inn, VFX supervisor Hayden Jones and composer Scot Stafford on the day. June 13.
The Annecy International Animation Festival, scheduled to take place from June 9 to June 15 in the picturesque French town of Annecy, has the distinction of being the oldest and largest animation festival world, originating in 1960.
Shannon Tindle's Directorial Debut: A Captivating Collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions and Light and Magic Industries
Shannon Tindle, known for her work as an animator on popular films such as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, will direct her first feature film, with John Aoshima is co-director. Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light and Magic are credited as the production companies behind the project.
Tindle also co-wrote the script with Marc Haimes, while Tom Knott serves as producer and Lisa Poole serves as co-producer. The film is inspired by characters created by Eiji Tsuburaya, known for his iconic contributions to Godzilla and Ultraman.
The creative team aims to bring together “a mix of Japanese and Western stars, along with a large number of junior talents from Japan.” Among the notable actors are Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young and Julia Harriman.
Ultraman Universe Expands: New Movie “Ultraman: Ken Sato” Joins Netflix's Anime Adaptation and Studio Khara's “Shin Ultraman”
Tsuburaya provided the following description of the film:
“Baseball superstar Ken Sato returns to Japan, his homeland, to take on the role of Earth's protector as the superhero Ultraman. However, he faces unexpected challenges when he is responsible for raising the children of his greatest enemy, a newborn Kaiju. Between becoming teammates and being a new father, Ken must confront his own pride, reconcile with his estranged father, and navigate the machinations of the Kaiju Defense Force. Through this journey, he discovers the true nature of being an Ultraman.”
In April 2019, Netflix premiered an Ultraman CG anime adaptation based on the manga Ultraman by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi (2011). Directed by Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki, the anime is produced by Production IG. The final season of the anime, Ultraman Final, was released globally on Netflix in May 2023.
Shin Ultraman, a film from Studio Khara, debuted in Japan in May 2022, securing the number one spot in its opening weekend. The film grossed a total of $601,490 from US screenings in January 2023. Additionally, it was shown in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada.