‘Ultraman: Rising’ Reveals New Images!! Check It Out!!

Netflix is calling Ken Sato back to Tokyo, but this time, he has some new responsibilities and a shiny new coat of paint. In two months, the feature-length Ultraman: Rising will see the character suit up once again after bidding farewell to the beloved animated series last year and the streamer has a new images that hypes his kaiju-sized return. Set to be a reintroduction to the character and the themes that make him such a popular figure around the world for American audiences, the film hails from Emmy winner Shannon Tindle, best known for her work on Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Kubo and the Two Strings.

Ultraman: Rising picks up with Sato as he reluctantly leaves his baseball stardom behind to take up the mantle of Ultraman and defend Tokyo from the recent onslaught of monster attacks. Things get much more complicated, however, when he becomes the guardian of an adorable baby kaiju who has yet to grow into a city-destroying beast. His attention is quickly divided, forcing him to balance work and fatherhood while putting his ego aside for the greater good. Adding to his stress are several darker forces, including the Kaiju Defense Force, that pose a threat to the young monster’s well-being.

Tindle will get her first crack at directing a feature animated production with Ultraman: Rising after previously helming the Google Spotlight Story short On Ice. Joining her as co-director is John Aoshima, who has experience helming episodes of Gravity Falls and DuckTales. Also reuniting with the two Kubo and the Two Strings veterans is Tindle’s co-writer for the screenplay, with credits on Nimona, Lost Ollie, and as a producer on Men in Black II, Marc Haimes. The cast, meanwhile, sees Christopher Sean taking the title of Ultraman as Sato after Josh Hutcherson voiced Shinjiro Hayata in the animated series. Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young, and Julia Harriman round out the bunch.

Industrial Light & Magic Puts Their Technology to Use for ‘Ultraman: Rising’

Having shown the film to test audiences, crew members, family, and friends, my favorite reaction so far is surprise. We tried to craft a popcorn movie that makes you FEEL. I hope you'll check it out on June 14th on @netflix #UltramanRising pic.twitter.com/axSkEJy5kR

— Shannon Tindle (@ShannonTindle_1) April 19, 2024

The reintroduction to Ultraman is a three-way collaboration between Netflix, the Ultra series producer Tsuburaya Productions, and Industrial Light & Magic. Although the Disney-owned company is best known for its VFX technology, it also has several notable animation credits under its belt, including the Gore Verbinsky film Rango. Most recently, ILM was tapped to help with the animation of Transformers One, the animated prequel to the Transformers franchise starring Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry as a young Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura raved about their work on that project, and they look to bring the same high-quality touch to the action-packed return of the Japanese icon.