Shin Ultraman Trailer Finally Arrives

After a year of setbacks, the trailer for Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno's Shin Ultraman has arrived. It's brief, but it hits all the right tokusatsu notes. There's actor Takumi Saitoh as Shinji Kaminaga, in human form and a transformation sequence as Ultraman. We also get legendary monsters Neronga and Gabora and using his iconic Spacium Beam attack.

Production started as far back as February 2019, but screenwriter Hideaki Anno's participation in Shin Ultraman was a late addition as his time was already split with the production of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. Shin Ultraman was originally announced in August of the same year, with Anno now as the official screenwriter and Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla) taking the reins again as director.

Saitoh is an actor with Ultraman in his blood as his father worked on Ultraman Taro back in the early '70s. The cast also includes acclaimed actor Masami Nagasawa as Hidemi Ōtomo and Hetoshi Nishijima, the latter of which is coming off serious acclaim for the Oscar winner Drive My Car this last year.

Ultraman is a Japanese superhero that's been part of pop culture since 1966 when it first aired. Much in the tradition of Super Sentai and Kamen Rider, a new Ultra hero takes flight every year. A Shin Kame Rider movie is also well under production.

The costume for Shin Ultraman is partially based on an Ultraman painting by the late toku artist Tohl Narita, with Anno contributing his own touches by adding the likeness of Bin Furuya, the hero's original suit actor in the first series.

Tsuburaya Productions announced a Japanese release date for May 13, 2022, but no American or worldwide date for now.