An American Ultraman Movie: How should we do it?

[Gigantis]

With Ultraman slowly becoming more and more popular, it seems like it's totally possible that the 2020's decade could be his big return to the Western World. If the franchise get's popular enough here, perhaps we might even be lucky enough to see a full on Hollywood adaptation! Possible long shot? Yeah maybe, but if it ever does come into fruition, who should do it, andhow should it be done?

First off, let's talk directors. I can't help but feel like most people here are gonna point to Guillermo Del Toro do direct.. not like there's anything wrong with that. He's a great director in general, and is pretty good at making humanoid monsters face off against more reptilian one's if Pacific Rim is anything to go off of.. well, the first one anyway. I think there's plenty other good directors though. Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron. Imagine what they could do with even more versatile monsters, or just toying around with Ultraman's power set! Heck in general, we could get a real spectacle if we get monster designs by ILM, WETA Digital, or maybe even by Rising Sun Pictures.

Then there's the monsters themselves. Ultraman, and any other Ultra's with him, are probably gonna get a more realistic upgrade. If any of you remember that short film from 2016 that never got off the ground (wonder if that's what eventually turned into Shin Ultraman) imagine something like that, maybe excluding the moving mouth. I could also see his eye's being able to emote more, kinda like Ultraman Neos.

But that's really just the start of things though. What monsters should be in it? Classics like Gomora and Red King, or should we get some new blood? What episode from the show should be the basis for the plot? What studio should make it? Who should star in it? Let me know in the comments below!

[Jermobooka]

Oh, I would love an American Ultraman film. It’s practically one of my big dreams, along with the Ultraman franchise becoming more popular in general!

I’d love for James Cameron to do it. Him being an Ultra and Kamen Rider fan as a kid, along with his unique style could really propel the film and make it not just another “big, dumb, hollywood blockbuster”

I believe this hypothetical film should take elements and some plot points of the original series, but have everything else be original. It would be about Hayata, the SSSP, Hayata’s beggings as Ultraman, and Hayata finally ”becoming” Ultraman at the end

It would have three kaiju. Baltan, Red King, and Gomora. The first enemy and fight would be with Gomora as a substitute for Bemular. The second one would be with Red King as a “hero’s darkest hour” moment kinda deal, and then the final kaiju/battle would be in a city with Baltan

It would be made by Legendary with CGI done by WETA, since the combo really know how to do kaiju

And, of course, at the end of the film it would be revealed that there are more of Ultraman’s species in a planet known as “The Land Of Light”, and that Ultra was a part of an elite guard known as the “Ultra Brothers”, setting up a buncha sequels and whatnot

[Mac Daddy MM]

Pretty much your typical modern Hollywood hero movie with kaiju thrown in. My idea would virtually be akin to the plot of Episode 1 of Ultraman, but instead of Bemular, having Ultraman trailing Baltan across the galaxy before arriving on Earth, perhaps culminating in a battle with Baltan and Zetton (a weapon of the Baltan).

A subsequent sequel could introduce us to some more typical, prehistoric kaiju and the Lawless Zone. Perhaps throw Gomora on the island too with Ultraman caught in a battle for domination of the island between Gomora and Red King.

[Cryptid_Liker]

In my mind, the perfect director for an Ultraman flick is the aforementioned Guillermo del Toro. Reason why? Pacific Rim. It's not even the fact that he portrayed the sense of scale for the Jaegers and kaiju, although that is a secondary reason. The big reason is because Pacific Rim, despite the fact the setting is an Earth going through constant reckoning by the kaiju and humans fighting a losing battle, is optimistic. Hopeful, even. And that optimism is at the core of Ultraman. And he's also a fan of the series so I doubt he wouldn't be able to do it justice.

For the VFX, I'd choose Digital Domain. For Ultraman think the best way to go is to not try to make him look overtly organic. Think something like that SShin Ultraman statue they have in Sukagawa. Oh, and make a new Ultra that ISN'T just the OG with a new coat of paint! For a good example on how he should move, I suggest Giant-Man from the MCU. A bit sluggish due to his size but still capable of the normal movements a human should be able to pull off. Also, just a personal wish that'll never come true but I want him to finish off the final monster with the Attack Ray.

Oh, monsters! For the cast of kaiju, I'd want some of the more outlandish ones. Eleking, Alien Zarab, Gyango, Dino Tank, and heck, maybe even Tyrant. But no matter what other kaiju appear, Pigmon is mandatory. Fight me. Anyways, I don't, and I mean R E A L L Y don't, want them to make all the kaiju evil. It'd be super generic and already done with Pacific Rim. This is also part of the reason I really want Pigmon to appear. Although, some new kaiju would be cool, too. Don't make the redesigns more "realistic" or "digestible" for general audiences. That'd only make them generic and easily blend in with the rest of Hollywood's movie monsters. And finally, for plot, basing it off a pre-existing series/episode would be the worst decision possible. It'd seriously limit creativity and overall, remove any chance of originality.

And that concludes my thoughts on how an American Ultraman movie should be. Wait, one more thing. Have Will Smith be Ultraman's host. He's a big fan of the character and I think he'd be great in the role.

[Major sssspielberg!]

Here's a rough story idea:

Spoiler:

Open in the early 2000s with the Ultra Guard investigating brutalizations by a lake. Out of the lake bursts a raving kaiju and our protagonist is killed, only to be revived by a Giant of Light. He beats the snot out of the kaiju, and is christened Ultraman.
Flash forward to 2030, and the former host is now captain of the Ultra Guard. Ultraman hasn't been seen in 10 years, since a mysterious invader began impersonating him and the EDF turned against him. The Ultra Guard continued fighting alongside Ultraman in secret for a time, until a disastrous mission results in many deaths and the host critically injured and unable to transform. Now Ultraman is confined in the Beta Capsule, and Cap seeks a suitable host, because it's only a matter of time before the world needs Ultraman again. Unfortunately, nobody has the right heart for the job, which sucks, because after all these years, kaiju have begun to awaken again! When he leads the team to fight Banilla and Aboras, his son discovers the Beta Capsule, and becomes Ultraman, saving the Ultra Guard... Until the EDF unleases it's full forces on Ultraman, and brands the Ultra Guard traitors to human race! Now on the run, the Ultra Guard must survive long enough to figure out why the kaiju have reappeared, clear Ultraman's name, and stop every kaiju they encounter, while Cap secretly investigates the identity of the Imitation Ultraman, and his connections to the EDF... Before the united military forces of the Earth catch up to them!

[LegendZilla]

People, we are getting one courtesy of Netflix.

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ultr ... 234972658/

[Jermobooka]

People, we are getting one courtesy of Netflix.

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ultr ... 234972658/

Oh yeah, very hyped for that one, but I think OP meant more of a “live action Hollywood” adaptation of Ultraman than something like the upcoming animated film

[Vakanai]

Okay a crazy idea but hear me out: We get Netflix to do an animated movie with a new Ultraman who kind of adopts and takes care of a baby kaiju!

...what?



On a more serious note, because I know you actually mean a "live action" film...I'd keep Legendary far away from this. Like as far away as possible. I've said my piece on GvK and I'm not willing to get into that here again, but the point is we've seen enough of their take on kaiju, and I'm just not a fan of their recent movies. KotM was "meh, alright", I personally felt GvK was trash (not arguing it, just stating my own personal feeling), and I won't even attempt to watch Pac Rim 2. Like whatever magic they had with Pac Rim 1, Godzilla 2014, and Kong Skull Island seems to be gone now. I'd be okay with Warner Bros doing it on their own, they've proven that they can do kaiju films on their own outside of dealing with Legendary thanks to films Rampage and The Meg. Universal is another possibility, they're probably in need for a replacement for the Jurassic Park/World series, and though the have King Kong rights I imagine they won't use him again before he goes public domain anyways. So either WB or Universal would be great choices.

Basically, Legendary shouldn't be the only player in this space, much less defining the genre for the west, so I'm more interested in seeing some other studio tackle this with no expectations for some inclusion into the MonsterVerse. If we really want to daydream about a Godzilla vs Ultraman film, send fan mail to Toho.

Added in 3 minutes 44 seconds:

If any of you remember that short film from 2016 that never got off the ground (wonder if that's what eventually turned into Shin Ultraman) imagine something like that, maybe excluding the moving mouth

I never understood this, what do old Ultraman fans have against him being able to move his mouth?

[Cryptid_Liker]

I never understood this, what do old Ultraman fans have against him being able to move his mouth?

It looks really wonky, especially in the case of that gar-bah-jay 2016 design.

[goji89]

I never understood this, what do old Ultraman fans have against him being able to move his mouth?

It looks really wonky, especially in the case of that gar-bah-jay 2016 design.

Yup.

And it's like if the Power Rangers helmets started moving their mouth or Masked Rider or anyone with helmets. It just doesn't look too good.

[LSD Jellyfish]

And it's like if the Power Rangers helmets started moving their mouth or Masked Rider or anyone with helmets. It just doesn't look too good.

Inb4 Shin Ultraman opens his mouth revealing a horrible set of uncanny pearly whites.

It's interesting to talk about this, because I think in comparison to Godzilla or Gamera, Ultraman is actually already a lot more westernized and easier to adapt into another cultural setting. This is because Ultraman himself is already clearly inspired by Superman (not a criticism) and Tsuburaya's own Catholic religious beliefs. Ultraman is also distinctly an alien, so unlike Godzilla there isn't a real "Japanese connection" in the same way Godzilla is tied to the Atom Bomb, or various Japanese cultural mythos. You could literally just place Ultraman in a contemporary American setting, and you actually wouldn't have to change a thing. In fact that's what Ultraman Great and Powered pretty much do, and despite the latter's quality both are relatively good adaptations.

You could very easily have American Astronauts, or some secret division of the American government encounter Ultraman nearly identical to the original origin story. From there, have them make an SSP type thing. I'd say the biggest change though would be new monsters. Ultraman in general has a lot of specific Japanese demons/creatures based off of folklore. Instead of making Japanese monsters, it would be easy to develop or make episodes based around American Cryptids and Mythos. For example, maybe a Moth-man esque monster, or a gigantic Gator creature in Florida. Homages to THEM or other American SF movies would be very doable as well.

So, don't change Ultraman at all, but change up the rogues gallery! Maybe add an X-Files element to the main human plot!

[Vakanai]

I never understood this, what do old Ultraman fans have against him being able to move his mouth?

It looks really wonky, especially in the case of that gar-bah-jay 2016 design.

The 2016 design was 1.) not garbage and 2.) I don't think the mouth looked wonky at all.
I mean, the 2016 CGI was a little too shiny/plasticy looking, but the CGI in Japan keeps improving. But the mouth was fine I thought.

Added in 1 minute 37 seconds:

I never understood this, what do old Ultraman fans have against him being able to move his mouth?

It looks really wonky, especially in the case of that gar-bah-jay 2016 design.

Yup.

And it's like if the Power Rangers helmets started moving their mouth or Masked Rider or anyone with helmets. It just doesn't look too good.

I think this is the main issue - it's something long time fans aren't used to, so they don't like it. It's not supposed to move, because it never has before, so changing that makes them think it doesn't look right.

Added in 36 seconds:
Never mind that's Ultraman's actual face, not a helmet, so things logically should move...

[Cryptid_Liker]

Now that I think about it, I'd be okay with an Ultra's mouth opening... as long as it's done like it was in Zearth 2. Yes, I'm serious.

[goji89]

I never understood this, what do old Ultraman fans have against him being able to move his mouth?

It looks really wonky, especially in the case of that gar-bah-jay 2016 design.

The 2016 design was 1.) not garbage and 2.) I don't think the mouth looked wonky at all.
I mean, the 2016 CGI was a little too shiny/plasticy looking, but the CGI in Japan keeps improving. But the mouth was fine I thought.

Added in 1 minute 37 seconds:

It looks really wonky, especially in the case of that gar-bah-jay 2016 design.

Yup.

And it's like if the Power Rangers helmets started moving their mouth or Masked Rider or anyone with helmets. It just doesn't look too good.

I think this is the main issue - it's something long time fans aren't used to, so they don't like it. It's not supposed to move, because it never has before, so changing that makes them think it doesn't look right.

Added in 36 seconds:
Never mind that's Ultraman's actual face, not a helmet, so things logically should move...

Why should it move? He doesn't speak in that form anyway. Just saying swaaatch and shyt. It's not like he's speaking to the ultra kaiju.

[Vakanai]

It looks really wonky, especially in the case of that gar-bah-jay 2016 design.

The 2016 design was 1.) not garbage and 2.) I don't think the mouth looked wonky at all.
I mean, the 2016 CGI was a little too shiny/plasticy looking, but the CGI in Japan keeps improving. But the mouth was fine I thought.

Added in 1 minute 37 seconds:

Yup.

And it's like if the Power Rangers helmets started moving their mouth or Masked Rider or anyone with helmets. It just doesn't look too good.

I think this is the main issue - it's something long time fans aren't used to, so they don't like it. It's not supposed to move, because it never has before, so changing that makes them think it doesn't look right.

Added in 36 seconds:
Never mind that's Ultraman's actual face, not a helmet, so things logically should move...

Why should it move? He doesn't speak in that form anyway. Just saying swaaatch and shyt. It's not like he's speaking to the ultra kaiju.

Because why wouldn't his mouth move? Otherwise, why even have a mouth? Just for show? Why would anything have a mouth just for show?

[goji89]

The 2016 design was 1.) not garbage and 2.) I don't think the mouth looked wonky at all.
I mean, the 2016 CGI was a little too shiny/plasticy looking, but the CGI in Japan keeps improving. But the mouth was fine I thought.

Added in 1 minute 37 seconds:


I think this is the main issue - it's something long time fans aren't used to, so they don't like it. It's not supposed to move, because it never has before, so changing that makes them think it doesn't look right.

Added in 36 seconds:
Never mind that's Ultraman's actual face, not a helmet, so things logically should move...

Why should it move? He doesn't speak in that form anyway. Just saying swaaatch and shyt. It's not like he's speaking to the ultra kaiju.

Because why wouldn't his mouth move? Otherwise, why even have a mouth? Just for show? Why would anything have a mouth just for show?

Statues have mouths doesn't mean they move.

[Vakanai]

Why should it move? He doesn't speak in that form anyway. Just saying swaaatch and shyt. It's not like he's speaking to the ultra kaiju.

Because why wouldn't his mouth move? Otherwise, why even have a mouth? Just for show? Why would anything have a mouth just for show?

Statues have mouths doesn't mean they move.

Statues are man made things to represent people and animals. Ultraman is not a man made thing to represent man in the series is he? So why bring it up?

[goji89]

Because why wouldn't his mouth move? Otherwise, why even have a mouth? Just for show? Why would anything have a mouth just for show?

Statues have mouths doesn't mean they move.

Statues are man made things to represent people and animals. Ultraman is not a man made thing to represent man in the series is he? So why bring it up?

Well you said why would anything have a mouth just for show. Statues have a mouth and are for show.

[Vakanai]

Statues have mouths doesn't mean they move.

Statues are man made things to represent people and animals. Ultraman is not a man made thing to represent man in the series is he? So why bring it up?

Well you said why would anything have a mouth just for show. Statues have a mouth and are for show.

I think you know I was referencing living organisms specifically, not works of human art and expression.

[goji89]

Statues are man made things to represent people and animals. Ultraman is not a man made thing to represent man in the series is he? So why bring it up?

Well you said why would anything have a mouth just for show. Statues have a mouth and are for show.

I think you know I was referencing living organisms specifically, not works of human art and expression.

And I think you should know me better than that and know I'm just busting your balls