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| Ultraman: The Next | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Kazuya Konaka |
| Written by | Keiichi Hasegawa |
| Produced by | Kiyoshi Suzuki |
| Starring | Tetsuya Bessho Kyoko Toyama Nae Yuuki |
| Cinematography | Shinichi Ooka |
| Music by | Tak Matsumoto |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Shochiku |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Budget | $6.3 million[1] |
Ultraman: The Next, released in Japan simply asUltraman (ウルトラマン,Urutoraman) is a 2004 Japanesesuperhero film directed by Kazuya Konaka and produced byTsuburaya Productions. It is a reimagining of theUltraman character andfranchise, and is part of the "Ultra N Project", a three-phase experiment aimed to reinvent the franchise for an older audience.[1]Ultraman: The Next was released in Japan on December 18, 2004 and had its American premiere atGrauman's Egyptian Theatre inHollywood on June 25, 2005.[2]
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First Lieutenant Shunichi Maki of theJapan Air Self-Defense Force is a prestigiousF-15 Eagle jet pilot. A lifelong fan of flying since he was a child, being a pilot is his ultimate dream. Unfortunately, his duties distance him from his wife, Yoko, who feels neglected, and his son, Tsugumu, who has a possibly terminal congenital blood disease.
Maki decides to quit the Air Force to devote more time to his family and to spend whatever time is left with his son. He takes a part-time job as a commercial tour guide for a kindly group of people who allow him time to take care of his family.
Before quitting, Maki and his flight partner Yamashima are alerted to a strange red light streaking towards Japan, and Maki's plane passes through the red light seemingly without any damage. He suffers no ill effects other than strange images briefly playing out in his mind. He later discovers that the images are telepathic messages from a strange being that exists in the red light.
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Veteran Ultraman designer Hiroshi Maruyama stressed the difficulty of reinventing the Ultraman design, stating, "Ultraman is a very simple design. This, unfortunately, removes some of the simplicity which is a big part of the design’s charm. But it really can’t be helped. If you tried to remove anything frorm that design what would you have? It would look likePepsi Man!" Maruyama originally wanted to give Ultraman "transparent skin" with "glowing streams of red energy" but stated that the executives found the idea "a bit too shocking".[2]