Ultraman: Rising is set to premiere on Netflix later this week, and it’s already making waves with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.
This new animated movie marks another step in Tsuburaya Productions’ global expansion of their Tokusatsu franchise, which includes previous collaborations with Netflix on a TV anime series, new Marvel comics, and the Shin Ultraman reboot film.
Ultraman: Rising has been generating buzz at special screenings, including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and has received a flawless 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from the first eight reviews.
Directed by Shannon Tindle and co-directed by John Aoshima, with a script by Tindle and Marc Haimes, the movie is a joint effort between Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light and Magic.
It stars Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young, and Julia Harriman. Netflix’s synopsis for the film describes it as follows: Baseball superstar Ken Sato returns to Japan to take on the role of Ultraman, but finds himself raising the offspring of his greatest enemy, a newborn Kaiju.
As he maneuvers the challenges of being a teammate and a new father, Ken must confront his own ego, his estranged father, and the manipulative Kaiju Defense Force to understand the true meaning of being Ultraman.
Shannon Tindle has also hinted at plans for two additional films should Ultraman: Rising to prove successful. He expressed his enthusiasm for continuing the story, promising that both newcomers and long-time fans of Ultraman will find something to enjoy in the potential sequels.
