Image: Netflix
Among the new animated movies premiering on Netflix in 2024 is Ultraman, a new entry in the long-running Japanese superhero franchise. Here’s everything we know about who’s behind the project and where it’s in development.
Variety first announced this new animated feature film. in May 2021. Along with the initial announcement came a first look at the upcoming movie:
Image: Netflix
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This is not the first time Netflix has delved into the ultraman IP, the streaming service being the exclusive home for the anime series that ran from 2019 to 2023 over three seasons.
Here’s what to expect from the upcoming movie based on Netflix’s official synopsis:
“ultraman follows baseball superstar Ken Sato as he returns to his home country of Japan to take over from Earth’s defending superhero Ultraman. He soon finds more than he bargained for when he is forced to raise the offspring of his greatest enemy. Ken must embark on a heroic journey, balancing fatherhood, his estranged father, and the relentless Kaiju Defense Force to overcome his ego and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman.»
What studios are working on Ultraman?
Netflix’s in-house animation division is working on the project along with Magic and Industrial Light (ILM) in association with Tsuburaya Productions.
In business since 1975, Industrial Light & Magic is behind some of the biggest movies of the last few decades, including the Star Wars and Marvel projects. For Netflix, ILM has worked notably on the limited series lost ollie and The Sandman.
Tsuburaya Productions has been in business since the mid-1960s working primarily on Ultraman IP during those years. they have He produced over 40 different TV and movie entries. in the world of Ultraman, both live and animated.
Who is working on the Netflix Ultraman movie?
Shannon Tindle serves as project director, having previously released the excellent limited series lost ollie for Netflix with ILM. Tindle previously served as a writer and character designer on Kubo and the two strings and worked in various positions on hits like Caroline, Turbo, and megamind.
Talking about the movie when it was first announcedTindle said: “What started as an original story inspired by my love for Eiji Tsuburaya’s Ultraman somehow became an actual Ultraman movie thanks to the incredible trust of the team at Tsuburaya Productions and the support of the folks at Netflix Animation. . We have assembled an all-star team and I can’t wait to share our unique vision of Ultraman with the rest of the world.»
The director stated at the end of 2022 that the original idea for the film to be released on Netflix will have taken «23 years» to get off the ground in total. The director said that he originally wrote “a movie inspired by Ultraman and developed it at another studio. After we broke up, Netflix came on and asked me if I’d like to adapt the original idea into an Ultraman movie.»
John Aoshima he will serve as co-director of the project, having first started on the project as head of story. Before working on this project, the animation veteran worked on titles like Netflix’s maya and the three, Kubo and the two strings, duck tales and Gravity Falls.
Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima – Photos via Twitter
Both directors spoke about their passion for the project at the 2021 Tsuburaya Convention in 2021:
Tindle is writing about the project along with marc haimeswho previously collaborated on Kubo and the two strings.
Tom Knott, Sean M. Murphy and Lisa M. Poole are the producers of the project.
Of course, all animation projects ultimately require an army of people working through various stages of development and production. Although this is by no means an extensive list, these are some of the people we have come across working on the ultraman feature film:
- Sunmin Inn as art director
- David Figliola as Previs leader
- Rie Koga as Head Story and Storyboard Artist
- Keiko Murayama as Character Art Director
- Mark Anthony Austin as previous artist
- Michelle Shi as Creature TD
- Tim Adams as ILM Composer
- Vinicius Favero as ILM Creature Modeller
- Hayden Jones as ILM Visual Effects Supervisor
- Mathieu Vig as ILM Animation Supervisor
- Sean M. Murphy as ILM Visual Effects Producer
- Stefan Drury as Executive Producer of ILM Visual Effects
- Jimmy Hieu Do as ILM Jr. Motion Capture Technical Director.
- Mandy Mok as ILM Head Animator
- Julien Lasbleiz as ILM Sequence Lead/Senior Lighting Artist
- Minako Tomigahara (Tomi) as visual development artist
- Cristina Fabular as Production Coordinator
We showed a sneak peek of the movie at work today. This is me surrounded by our brilliant creative leadership team. We also have a brilliant production team. #ultraman #Netflix pic.twitter.com/iad2YIkjn4
—Shannon Tindle (@ShannonTindle_1) May 24, 2023
Who is in the cast of Netflix? ultraman movie?
Beyond director’s dogno cast members have been announced as of yet.
However, Variety originally reported that «the plan is a mix of Japanese and Western stars, along with a host of talent from Japan.»
When ultraman release on Netflix?
In April 2023, Netflix updated us with a broad 2024 release date for the film as part of its 2023-24 animation presentation. Tindle has since clarified that the film is aimed at Summer 2024 release date.
Other movies announced for a 2024 release included Thelma the Unicorn, In your dreams, and Bikini Bottom Saver.
The film’s director is very active on Twitter and continually posts behind-the-scenes information about the making of the film.
Our first Ultraman score tracking session! pic.twitter.com/hKyEKsKTJV
—Shannon Tindle (@ShannonTindle_1) April 26, 2023
In April 2023, for example, the director shared, «We’re 90% excited and 50% enlightened,» adding that he’s also met with an «incredible potential collaborator.»
We will keep you informed of all things ultraman in the months and years to come as we get closer to its release date. Are you looking forward to watching Ultraman on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.