When you think of long-running pop culture franchises, you probably think of one or all of James Bond, Doctor Who, Planet of the Apes, Godzilla, and Star Trek.  In Japan you may first think of Ultraman, the alien from another world (Nebula M78) who finds himself chasing an escaped monster called Bemular across the cosmos.  That was nearly 60 years ago, but since then the studios behind Ultraman have brought a whopping 43 movies to the big screen featuring their hero.  U.S. audiences are more familiar with the live-action series from the 1960s, and last year we reviewed a new book from the franchise set in the 21st century: Ultraman: The Official Novel of the Series (reviewed here).

This summer get ready for the 44th Ultraman movie: Ultraman: Rising.  And it’s coming to Netflix.  Check out the first trailer from the movie below:

The challenge for franchises like this is always the same: How do you make characters and situations fresh to appeal to 21st century audiences?  Part of it is updating the technology, which includes everything from the Internet to modern scientific principles considering the source material dates back to 1966.  The plot for the 2024 movie updates the character himself:  When baseball superstar Ken Sato returns home to Japan to pick up the mantle of Earth-defending superhero Ultraman, he quickly finds more than he bargained for as he’s forced to raise the offspring of his greatest foe.  The movie is from director Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings) and co-director John Aoshima (Gravity Falls), and based on characters by Eiji Tsuburaya.  Voice actors include Hawaii Five-O’s Christopher Sean as Ultraman, Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles, Gung Ho, Mulan), and Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Man in the High Castle, and Star Trek Picard’s Tamlyn Tomita.

Currently you can watch the vintage Ultraman series here on YouTube:

Look for Ultraman: Rising coming to Netflix June 14, 2024.