Shin Ultraman Teaser Trailer Brings Khara’s Angle to Classic Tokusatsu

A new trailer for Shin Ultraman from Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno has just dropped, and it’s looking interesting. The live-action film adapts the classic tokusatsu TV show into a standalone entry that appears to take a more grounded view of what might happen if kaiju monsters attacked Japan. The few scenes shown in the teaser actually look similar to those from 2016’s Shin Godzilla (AKA Godzilla: Resurgence), which was co-directed by Anno alongside longtime collaborator Shinji Higuchi (who also directed the live-action Attack on Titan film adaptations) [Thanks, ANN!].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK5yejcKCis&

The Shin Ultraman teaser doesn’t show its titular character until the very end of the video, initially focusing on the actions of the government and the Science Patrol (The Ultraman franchise’s classic core team) in response to the crisis. Military vehicles deploy, and people look apprehensive while staring at computers. A document titled “Giant Humanoid Lifeform: Ultraman (Tentative Name) Investigation Report” is flashed onscreen. Two kaiju that look like high-detail CGI takes on Neronga and Gabora tower over the Japanese countryside, followed by a brief glimpse of Ultraman himself, standing as tall as a high-voltage power line tower. As in earlier preview images, Shin Ultraman‘s take on the hero’s design does not appear to include the “Color Timer”, a telltale light worn on the chests of Ultraman heroes that flashes when they’re injured or in danger.

The cast of Shin Ultraman will be led by Takumi Saitou, who plays the character that can transform into Ultraman. He’s briefly shown running in the forest brandishing the movie’s transformation device, which looks like a cross between the old “Beta Capsule” and a laser pointer. Masami Nagasawa (who played Okudera-senpai in Your Name.) will play Saitou’s partner in the Science Patrol. Other cast members include Koji Yamamoto (Touken Ranbu: The Movie‘s Oda Nobunaga), former Momoiro Clover idol Akari Hayami, and Toshihiro Wada (Battle Royale II’s Satoshi), among others.

Shin Ultraman is slated for an “Early Summer 2021” release in Japan. Netflix is also hosting Shin Godzilla on its platform, along with funding original Ultraman and Godzilla anime series.