A CG-animated feature film based on Japan’s popular fictional superhero Ultraman is being developed by Netflix.
Ultraman was the first tokusatsu (live-action) hero launched by the Ultra Series and extension, Tsuburaya Productions.
The character, who defends the planet from alien kaiju, made its maiden appearance alongside his human host Shin Hayata in the 1966–1967 Japanese television series, “Ultraman” which ran for 39 episodes.
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Ultraman has since inspired many superheros of of global pop culture, including “Power Rangers” and Paul Rudd’s “Ant-Man” suit.
According to a press release shared by the streaming platform, the project is being developed in partnership with Tsuburaya Productions.
Shannon Tindle is directing the movie, with John Aoshima on board as co-director.
“Making this film is a dream come true. What began as an original story inspired by my love for Eiji Tsuburaya’s Ultraman somehow became an actual Ultraman film thanks to the incredible trust of the team at Tsuburaya Productions, and the support of the folks at Netflix Animation,” Tindle said in a statement.
“We’ve assembled an all-star team and I can’t wait to share our unique take on Ultraman with the rest of the world,” he added.
Marc Haimes has penned the movie along with Tindle.
It centres on baseball superstar Ken Sato, who 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,” the plotline reads.
The animated feature marks Netflix’s second collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions following the release of the “Ultraman” anime series which is currently in its second season.
