News
Shin Ultraman Gets Best Start for Japanese Live-Action Film So Far This Year
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Entertainment news website Cinema Today reported on Monday that Studio Khara's new Shin Ultraman (New Ultraman) film sold 641,802 tickets and earned 993,410,050 yen (about US$7.68 million) in its first three days at the box office to top the weekend chart. The film has the highest-earning debut weekend for a live-action Japanese film in 2022 so far.
The film sold 191,302 tickets to earn 290,102,400 yen (about US$2.24 million) on its first day on Friday. On Saturday, the film sold 255,554 tickets for 398,432,500 yen (about US$3.08 million), and on Sunday the film sold 194,946 tickets for 304,875,150 yen (about US$2.36 million).
Shin Ultraman earned 17% more in its first three days than Shin Godzilla did when it opened in August 2016. Shin Godzilla sold 564,332 tickets to earn 845,675,500 yen in its first three days.
Shin Ultraman was delayed from its previously planned early summer 2021 timeframe due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Takumi Saitō plays the film's main character, the man who can transform into Ultraman. Masami Nagasawa is the partner of the main character. Hidetoshi Nishijima also stars in the film.
Shin Godzilla director Shinji Higuchi and his Higuchi-Gumi team helmed the project, and Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno was in charge of planning and scripts. Kenshi Yonezu performs the film's theme song "M87."
A draft of the script was completed in February 2019, and Anno focused on the project after completing Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, which opened in Japan in March 2021 after multiple delays. TOHO will distribute Shin Ultraman.
Source: Cinema Today (入倉功一)
