Tsuburaya Productions has unveiled the Ultraman design for the new movie SHIN ULTRAMAN. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ?2021 Tsuburaya Productions Unveils Hero Design For 2021 Movie Source: Tsuburaya Productions Official Site: shin-ultraman.jp
1983 painting by original Ultraman designer, Tohl Narita. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. © TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS During the opening ceremony of TSUBURAYA CONVENTION 2019 Tsuburaya Productions announced details about several new projects to be released in 2020 and 2021. Among the revelations were the first looks at the main character design and logo for the upcoming movie SHIN ULTRAMAN (?????????, Shin Urutoraman). SHIN ULTRAMAN is an adaption of the original ULTRAMAN (???????????????, Urutoraman K?s? Tokusatsu Shir?zu, 1966-67) television series. Heading the creative team are writer/producer Hideaki Anno (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION) and director Shinji Higuchi (Gamera Trilogy, ATTACK ON TITAN), the co-directors of the box office and critical smash SHIN GODZILLA (??????, Shin Gojira, 2016). The pair have based their Ultraman on the early concept artwork by the late Toru `Tohl` Narita, the lead character designer for the original ULTRAMAN series. Higuchi and Anno were particularly inspired by a 1983 Ultraman painting by Narita, entitled “Incarnation of Truth, Justice and Beauty”. The artwork closely resembles Ultraman`s look in the classic shows but lacks the Color Timer on the hero`s chest, a late addition to the Ultraman suit that Narita disliked. By sticking close to Narita`s early design, the filmmakers hope to present a beautiful image of nobility in SHIN ULTRAMAN. Toho will distribute SHIN ULTRAMAN theatrically in Japan in 2021. CREDITS Producer and Screenwriter: Hideaki Anno Director: Shinji Higuchi Music: Shiro Sagisu Starring: Takumi Saito, Masami Nagasawa, Hidetoshi Nishijima Presented by: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Toho Co., Ltd., khara, Inc. Producetion Companies: Toho Pictures, Cine Bazar Distributor: Toho Co., Ltd ?2021 "Shin Ultraman" Production Committee
SHIN ULTRAMAN logo, courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ?2021 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.
For more information on SHIN ULTRAMAN, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: