ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE Update -- New Info and High-Res Photos From Tsuburaya Productions

Ultraman Tregear battles Ultraman Groob in ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE ? SELECT! THE CRYSTAL OF BOND. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

Source: Tsuburaya Productions, Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: m-78.jp/rb/movie (Japan) Official Twitter:twitter.com/ultraman_series

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

The Minato brothers and sister, the final battle... Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. and distributor Shochiku Co., Ltd. have provided SciFi Japan with an update for ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE ? SELECT! THE CRYSTAL OF BOND (?????????????????????????, Gekij?-ban Urutoraman R/B Serekuto! Kizuna no Kurisutaru) featuring new large photos, info on the theme song, theater exclusive merchandise and gift details, and a trailer. The latest Ultraman theatrical feature film will open in Japanese cinemas on March 8, 2019. THEME SONG: TAKESHI TSURUNO × DAIGO

ULTRAMAN DYNA star Takeshi Tsuruno (left) and ULTRAMAN SAGA star DAIGO (right) perform the movie`s theme song. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

In 2012, actor/musician Takeshi Tsuruno and singer-songwriter DAIGO co-starred in the movie ULTRAMAN SAGA (?????????, Urutoraman S?ga). Tsuruno reprised the role of Shin Asuka/Ultraman Dyna from the ULTRAMAN DYNA (?????????, Urutoraman Daina, 1997-1998) television series, while DAIGO played Nozomu Taiga, the new human host of Ultraman Zero.

Theme song CD. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

The two have now reunited to create "Bond of Light" (???????, Hikari no Kizuna), the theme song for ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE. Both provided vocals, with Tsuruno writing the lyrics and DAIGO composing the music. The song was arranged by Sho Tsuchiya of the rock band MY FIRST STORY. Takeshi Tsuruno said that he wrote the song because this was the last Ultraman movie of the Heisei Era. "The title of the movie contains the word `Bond`. The ties between the Ultramen and their family are revealed, and that influenced my writing." "This song is written for Ultraman," DAIGO added. "I was able to work once again with Takeshi Tsuruno from ULTRAMAN SAGA, so it is a song born from the ultimate bond of Ultramen. I sang it with all my heart." "Bond of Light" was released as a CD single and made available for purchase from digital distribution services on February 14. The song will also be included on the album, "Takeshi Tsuruno Best" (????? ???, Tsuruno Takeshi Besuto), commemorating the anniversary of Tsuruno`s musical career. The album is scheduled for release on April 17. ? "Bond of Light" (Digital · Single) · Vocals: Takeshi Tsuruno × DAIGO · Lyrics: Takeshi Tsuruno · Composition: DAIGO · Arrangement: Sho Tsuchiya · Distribution: tsuruno_daigo THEATER EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS AND GIFTS

Theater exclusive Bandai figure. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

? Ultra Hero Series: Ultraman Ruebe Transformation Light Color Ver. (???????????? ????????? ????????ver.) Some theaters screening ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE will also be selling an exclusive Bandai figure of Ultraman Ruebe, the fusion form of the Ultraman brothers Rosso and Blu. · Size: Height Approximately 150mm (5.9 Inches) · Price: ¥756 (Approximately $6.84 US, Tax Included)

Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

? ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE Original Mini Journals (????????????????? ????????) While supplies last, some theaters screening ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE will be offering ticket buyers free mini journals featuring characters from the film. The first four will be available on the movie`s opening day, with a second wave coming March 22. The limited edition gifts will be published on B7 size (88 × 125mm) paper. Vol. 1 (Friday, March 8) ? Katsumi Minato & Ultraman Rosso ? Isami Minato & Ultraman Blu ? Riku Asakura & Ultraman Geed ? Asahi Minato & Ultrawoman Grigio Vol. 2 (Friday, March 22) ? The Minato Family & Ultraman Groob ? Pega & Ultra Heroes ? Snake Darkness & Ultraman Tregear ? Saki Mitsurugi & Grigio Regina

Trailer courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

CREDITS Japanese Theatrical Release: Friday, March 8, 2019 (Nationwide Roadshow)

Poster courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

Cast Katsumi Minato: Yuya Hirata Isami Minato: Ryosuke Koike Asahi Minato: Arisa Sonohara Mio Minato: Kaori Manabe Ushio Minato: Ginnojo Yamazaki Toi: Yukito Nishii Saki Mitsurugi: Ayane Kinoshita Hideko Hara Riku Asakura: Tatsuomi Hamada Ultraman Tregear (Voice): Yuma Uchida D.R.L.N. (Voice): Kaede Yuasa Alien Pegassa Pega (Voice): Megumi Han Staff Supervisor: Takayuki Tsukagoshi Director: Takei Shono VFX Director: Makoto Kamiya Screenplay: Takao Nakano Chief Producer: Tsugumi Kitaura Producer: Yukinobu Tsuruta Cinematography: Takeshi Arai Lighting: Hiromichi Takeyama Recording: Ichiro Hoshi Art Director: Taro Kiba Editor: Yosuke Yafune Action Coordinator: Daisuke Terai Casting: Kazumasa Shimada FX: Tomoaki Miwa Music: Yasuharu Takanashi Theme Song: "Bond of Light" by Takeshi Tsuruno × DAIGO (Pony Canyon) Production: “UR/B” Film Partners Distribution: Shochiku Broadcasting World Sales: Tsuburaya Productions ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

Top row: Ultraman Rosso, Ultraman Blu, Ultrawoman Grigio. Bottom Row: Ultraman Geed, Ultraman Groob, Ultraman Tregear. Photos courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

Katsumi Minato (Yuya Hirata) ponders whether he is human or Ultraman. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

Ultraman Groob and Ultrman Geed (Ultimate Final form) race into action! Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©UR/B FILM PARTNERS

About Tsuburaya Productions

Tsuburaya Productions, creator and copyrights owner of the superhero ULTRAMAN series was founded in 1963 by Eiji Tsuburaya, world-renowned special effects wizard also known for his special effects work on the Godzilla series. With more than fifty years` experience, it is one of Japan`s oldest and most respected independent film and television production houses. Its popular Ultraman TV and film series which premiered in 1966 has been seen in over 100 territories worldwide and has spawned over 3,000 licensed products. In addition to production, the company also handles character licensing and program distribution and staging live stage shows both domestically and internationally.

About Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Shochiku traces its origins to 1895 when Takejiro Otani presented his first stage play. They also produced the first color motion picture in Japan, and have expanded into TV dramas, video contents, Kabuki presentation, theater operations, and real estate. The company has become a symbol of enduring tradition as the exclusive promoter of the Kabuki theater in Japan as well as widely known as the creator of the world’s longest-running feature film series TORA-SAN. The company is making all possible efforts to develop business in various fields, including multimedia and co-productions, across generation, national, and cultural borders.

For more information on ULTRAMAN R/B and ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: