Ultraman: Ascension is the latest in a long line of IP media, however, Netflix’s new version of the series doesn’t require viewers to know an immense amount of knowledge to enjoy it. It introduces new protagonist Ken Sato, who takes on the mantle of Ultraman from his father. The news comes from co-directors Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima, who previously collaborated together on the 2016 film. Kubo and the Two Strings.
Although many projects in Ultraman franchise focused on fighting kaiju, Ascending focuses more on your protection. After a fight with the kaiju Gigantron, Ken discovers a newborn baby from the same creature, who imprints him as the father. This family focus of Ultraman: Ascension – both when it comes to fleshing out kaiju Emi and Ken’s relationships with other characters in the film – serves it well, earning the film critical praise for its more sincere take on the long-running IP.
SRant screen I was honored to visit Skywalker Sound & ILM in San Francisco to learn more about the passion that went into creating Ultraman: Ascension. While there, Joe Deckelmeier interviewed director Shannon Tindle and co-director John Aoshima, and the pair discussed their collaborative relationship, their lifelong love of anime and manga, and how they gave the film a distinct artistic vision.
Aoshima brought a unique cultural perspective to the character of Ken in Ultraman: Rising
“It’s an honor, for example, to be able to play my childhood superhero and to be asked to take on this role.”
Screen speech: most Ultraman characters have a switching device. What led to the decision not to give Ken the switching device, and was there any consideration in giving him one?
Shannon Tindle: No. I liked the beta capsule of the original series, but I wanted the suggestion that it was a mantle that was passed down or a mantle that was earned rather than a tool. I thought that extra object there could confuse an audience that wasn’t used to it. Just like a lot of these things we could eliminate – with Shin Ultraman, [Hideaki Anno] decided to eliminate the color timer because it wasn’t in the original design. But the beta capsule is in the movie – this is John’s idea – when Ken’s father is in that hyperbaric chamber, it’s the OG base. Go back and check it out. That’s an Easter egg,
John, how did taking on the role of co-director for the first time shape your perspective on storytelling and filmmaking? Ultraman: Ascension?
John Aoshima: It’s an honor, for example, to be able to play my childhood superhero and to be asked to take on that role. I knew we had a great driving partnership, but being able to share my voice and work with our team, especially our crew members of Japanese and Asian descent, to show them that I’m also there to support and make sure this is guided correctly.
It’s been a bit of an easy path with someone like Shannon who will pay attention, because we have Kubo [and the Two Strings] experience too. I knew I was in good hands, but being able to experience each stage of production was a great experience.
Shannon, can you talk about the influence of anime and manga, like Akira and Evangelionand your decision to pursue a unique animation style for the film?
Shannon Tindle: I grew up around the time when manga was really popular in the nineties. I’ll never forget walking into a comic book store and seeing Frank Miller’s poster for Lone Wolf and Cub. I reread Lone Wolf and Cub, all 28 volumes, every year. So I was exposed to a lot of that stuff, Bubblegum Crisis, Akira, all that stuff. We were developing it and I thought, “Man, I love the proportions of the EVAs. I know [Hideaki] Anno, he’s like an Ultraman scholar. We saw a talk he gave about Return of Ultraman that was – he knows the cinematographers, the writers, everyone, so we wanted to put that in there.
But also getting some of those zipatone textures that you find in the manga; that you receive from Masamune Shirow and [Katsuhiro] Otomo in the art and hiding those textures there, I thought that would be really cool – just bringing that influence. I think Spider-Verse made a big reference to American comics, and this was a subtle reference to the manga and anime in our film.
John, how did your upbringing between the US and Japan influence your approach to the cultural nuances in Ken’s journey?
John Aoshima: Quite significantly, actually. I definitely connected, once we knew this was the direction we wanted to go, with Ken being a Japanese-American, having to go back home to Japan and play for the Yomiuri Giants, I definitely shared all of my personal experiences and challenges that I faced, and it was great to be able to highlight this kind of cultural identity crisis. I think, especially for a film that’s supposed to be for a global audience, I think there’s a gateway to connecting with a character like Ken.
Tindle and Aoshima would love to see another Japanese version of Spider-Man
Tindle says he would also “kill to do Kamen Rider.”
Shannon, in collaboration with Tsuburaya, the production, what steps were taken to honor the legacy of Ultraman franchise while incorporating new storytelling elements?
Shannon Tindle: The first measure was that I’m a huge Ultraman nerd, so there’s that. Then just making sure we were in constant communication with Tsuburaya. We went out in October 2019 and spent a week with these people talking in depth about the story and the things that excited them, the things that worried them, and really discussing it.
We had some big breakthroughs there, but then we made sure that we had a regular monthly call and a bi-monthly call, whether it was a smaller group, because they are the shepherds and the guardians of this character, and they have been so respectful and so open-minded with us. , and I wanted to make sure we reciprocated that respect with them. They were constantly part of the conversation.
I think Ultraman it’s bright, Ultraman: Ascension It’s brilliant. As a huge fan of tokusatsu, I would love to see more adaptations of Japanese culture into American animation. Do you think this opens the door to seeing more tokusatsu adaptations?
Shannon Tindle: I hope so. I would kill to do Kamen Rider. But you know what? I would also like to see the opposite. I love Japanese Spider-Man and would love to see a Japanese film produced – so it’s vice versa. There are a lot of things that we bring here and we adapt. I would love to see them turn this into a big budget show or movie.
John Aoshima: It’s a Marvel property. Yes, I looked into that. [Laughs]
The two of you can share how your longtime friendship and collaboration has influenced the creative process and dynamics of Ultraman: Ascension?
John Aoshima: I think it’s the creative confidence in supporting and driving goals. We kind of look out for each other in a way. I’m a longtime friend and collaborator, so I understand Shannon’s taste, and it’s okay to have some creative debates, but this comes from a good place. We are passionate storytellers and artists. Maybe I didn’t understand something, maybe I didn’t understand the objective, and then we’ll line up and direct the crew.
Shannon Tindle: Yeah, directing a movie can be a very lonely journey, so it was always great to be able to meet with this guy every morning and just vent and say, “I’m tired, I’m stressed.” As he said, we knew we had our backs.
More about Ultraman: Rise (2024)
With Tokyo under siege by escalating monster attacks, baseball star KEN SATO reluctantly returns home to take up the mantle of Ultraman. But the titanic superhero meets his match when he adopts a 30-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju. Sato must overcome her ego to balance work and parenthood while protecting her baby from forces bent on exploiting her for their own dark plans. In partnership with Netflix, Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light & Magic, ULTRAMAN: RISING is written by Shannon Tindle and Marc Haimes, directed by Shannon Tindle and co-directed by John Aoshima.
Check out our others Ultraman: Ascension interviews here:
Source: Screen Rant Plus