ULTRAMAN: Theatrical Edition, a feature-length version of the first season of the hugely popular anime produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Production I.G., will see a special limited release in movie theaters across North America.
The exciting news was announced by Steven Menkin, president of Iconic Events at a panel during Anime Expo 2022. The film premieres as the launch of AX Cinema Nights at Regal LA LIVE cinema, near the Los Angeles Convention Center at 4:00 on July 2 nd , with directors Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama in attendance.
AX Cinema Nights is a new anime screening series coming to cities across North America in 2022! This in- person event celebrates the best new and classic anime by bringing fans together for immersive and unforgettable screenings in movie theaters throughout the year.
With the top-rated anime series’ second season currently running on Netflix, renewed for a third, ULTRAMAN is based on Urutoraman, a manga written by Eiichi Shimizu and drawn by Tomohiro Shimoguchi. Published in Hero's Monthly since its November 2011 issue, it is a manga sequel to the original television series.
Story takes place 40 years after the events of the original series with the legendary Giant of Light believed to have returned home after fighting the many Kaiju and aliens that attacked the Earth. Shin Hayata’s son Shinjiro discovers that he possesses strange powers leading to the discovery of his father’s legacy. Now in an armored suit, he must battle new alien threats as Ultraman.
The Iconic theatrical release announcement was made in tandem with the Ultraman Rising campaign, which spans all four days of Anime Expo. Designed to celebrate the arrival of the Giant of Light onto the world stage, the promotion began with Ultraman’s appearance at the convention’s Opening Ceremony, the first time Ultraman and his Kaiju foes have ever appeared live onstage in the continental United States.
On the expo’s Main Events stage Saturday night, live versions of the armor-suited Ultraman, Ultraseven, Ultraman Ace, and Ultraman Taro from anime ULTRAMAN performed a spectacular stage show for an audience of thousands.
Created by Eiji Tsuburaya in 1966, the Ultraman series have spawned an evergreen franchise in Japan, making the 40-meter-tall silver and red being from the M78 Nebula one of the most widely recognized characters in the world. In addition to over 1400 episodes and dozens of feature films, Ultraman is on the rise worldwide.
An original feature unrelated to the anime is currently in production with Industrial Light and Magic handling computer animation at Netflix. Marvel Comics has announced a fourth comic book series. Dozens of North American licenses have been activated through The Licensing Group, live events stream on fan hub Ultraman Connection, and millions of fans subscribe to the Ultraman Official YouTube channel. Live-action feature Shin Ultraman is currently breaking box offices records in Japan.
Deal with Iconic Events was negotiated by Jeremy Hughes of Iceberg Theory in tandem with Tsuburaya Productions. Cities, dates, and ticket information for the anime ULTRAMAN: Theatrical Edition will be announced soon.
About Tsuburaya Productions
Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. is an independent television and film production company founded in 1963 by well-known special effects man Eiji Tsuburaya. Their most famous program is the Ultraman TV and film series, begun in 1966, has been seen in over 100 territories worldwide and has spawned over 3,000 licensed products. Besides Ultraman, Tsuburaya Productions is a fully integrated production, marketing, and events company.
About Iconic Events Releasing
A fast-growing name in event cinema, Iconic Events Releasing brings live and filmed entertainment of all types to movie theaters as special limited engagement events, so that fans can watch their favorites on the big screen. Programming includes live pay-per-view sports, music and comedy specials, award- winning television, Broadway productions, exciting holiday specials, family events, faith/inspirational films, concerts, and music docs that celebrate diversity. Iconic’s theater network represents some of the country’s preeminent cinemas offering enhanced guest experiences, high-quality food & beverage service, and reserved seating to ensure fans can enjoy a night out at their local movie theater.
