A new Ultraman movie is officially happening at Netflix. The streaming service has partnered with Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light and Magic to bring the iconic Japanese hero to the streaming world with a new animated feature. Along with the announcement, some initial artwork from the movie has been released as well.

The image sees the iconic hero of Japanese cinema in a heroic stance, with fighter jets taking to the sky above him. Shannon Tindle is set to direct the movie, simply titled Ultraman, with John Aoshima on board as co-director. Tindle is also set to write the screenplay alongside Marc Haimes. Tom Knott is set to produce with Lisa Poole on board as a co-producers. Tindle had this to say in a statement.

"Making this film is a dream come true. What began as an original story inspired by my love for Eiji Tsuburaya's Ultraman somehow became an actual Ultraman film thanks to the incredible trust of the team at Tsuburaya Productions, and the support of the folks at Netflix Animation. We've assembled an all-star team and I can't wait to share our unique take on Ultraman with the rest of the world."

Ultraman will center on baseball superstar Ken Sato who returns to Japan to take up the mantle of the Earth-defending superhero. But he soon gets more than he bargained for when he's forced to raise the offspring of his greatest foe, a newborn Kaiju. Ken struggles to balance his roles as both a teammate and new father and must confront his own ego, his estranged father, and the evil Kaiju Defense Force to rise up and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman. Aram Yacoubian, Director of Original Animated Film at Netflix, had this to say.

"Having the opportunity to partner with our friends at Tsuburaya Productions to bring this beloved character to our members around the world is an honor. We're thrilled to be working with Shannon, John and an incredibly talented team of artists and lovers of Ultraman from around the world. We can't wait to share our film with fans of this iconic Japanese hero and introduce a new generation to what's sure to become their new favorite superhero."

Ultraman, as a character, has more than 50 years of history, having first appeared in a Japanese TV series back in 1966. Over the ensuing decades, the character has appeared in more than 30 movies and dozens of TV shows. Netflix currently has an Ultraman anime series as well that is in its second season.

While Ultraman might not be quite as big with American audiences, it is a recognizable franchise that can help bolster the streaming service's library of titles. Plus, the company has more than 200 million subscribers worldwide. With Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock and Paramout+, among others, also crowded up the streaming market right now, marquee content has become more important than ever. Ultraman does not yet have a release date set. Be sure to check out the teaser artwork for yourself from the Netflix Geeked Twitter account.

Ultraman Art