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"Ultraman:
Rising" is a Japanese-American co-production written by Shannon
Tindle and Marc Haimes that hopes to make the superhero
relatable while honoring the franchise's legacy.
Born out of a 1960s Japanese television series, the red and
silver-clad Ultraman is a superhero with alien powers who
protects the Earth from a variety of monsters.
In the new film, which Tindle first started pitching in 2001,
Ultraman not only fights monsters, he also has to raise one.
It sees U.S.-based baseball star Ken Sato reluctantly travel to
Tokyo to take over the role of Ultraman to help guard the city.
To further complicate the challenge, he comes across a more than
10-metre (35-foot) tall fire-breathing baby kaiju, or giant
monster, he must take under his protection.
For Tindle, who also directed the film, "Ultraman: Rising" is a
celebration of the character and his own experiences as a father
and a son.
"It's a story that I experienced myself when I became a father
for the first time, understanding my mom and dad and choices
they made. I thought that was something that could connect to a
broader audience without needing any knowledge of who Ultraman
was as a hero," he said.
Traditional Ultraman mythology is incorporated in the film that
centers on Ultraman's core qualities.
"He's a unique hero,” said John Aoshima, who co-directed the
movie. "When you face a conflict, there's a lot of grey area.
Ultraman will look at both sides and find the right balance to
find peace within the two."
Tindle and Aoshima also incorporated their own experiences in
the film.
"Ken Sato I relate with personally because he's
Japanese-American and I shared my personal stories of what it
was like to grow up in Japan and adapt in the U.S. and not being
seen like the others. I felt different," said Aoshima.
"I've lost a lot of my family members in the last few years,"
said Tindle. "A lot of my experiences in learning from their
wisdom, have been put into the film."
"Those are common universal experiences, so I hope it will bring
families closer together and they'll have a lot of fun watching
this family come together," he added.
"Ultraman: Rising" starts streaming on Netflix globally on
Friday.
(Reporting by Hanna Rantala and Francesca Halliwell; Editing by
Alex Richardson)
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