Is there hope for future Ultraman series?

[Daikamonohashi]

If the Ultra Series decides to take a rest at this point, I'm all for it.

DO NOT WANT.

 

[Shynilyte]

Is there hope? Of course there's hope. This is Ultraman, where would it be without hope?

More seriously...

Where's August and Jared when you need em...

Tsuburaya have stated multiple times that Mebius was so successsful for them they feel comfortable putting the TV part on hiatus and doing movies only for a few years, much like in the 80s-early 90s...

So, they were all "we don't wanna make more money"? Wha?

If the Ultra Series decides to take a rest at this point, I'm all for it.

DO NOT WANT.

I'm kinda worried that, it will be harder for them to gain a sufficient audience if they don't sustain interest in the franshice.

So... I think there is hope. Just not very much. Perhaps there won't be a new series anytime soon, but maybe someday.

 

[MattComix]

The "Golden Era" was over when Eiji Tsuburaya died. The Silver Age was very prosperous throughout the 70s to about 1980 (but slowed down by the Oil Shock/Energy Crisis), and I think we're seeing the end of the Bronze Age (Tiga onward). So I hardly think the Ultra Series is in a "Golden Era."

If the Ultra Series decides to take a rest at this point, I'm all for it.

Then I hope Ultraman skips having an Iron Age and goes into Mercury, or better yet Heroic. (Yeah I know I'm mixing the Ages of Man in with the Metals of Antiquity/Ages of Comics metaphor but you get my point.) :laugh:

 

[ryuuseipro]

So, they were all "we don't wanna make more money"? Wha?

Even in that long gap from 1980 to 1990, there's still been a lot of Ultraman stuff going on. He was still a merchandising powerhouse, ever since Bandai acquired the rights (via Popy) at the beginning of the 80s. Ultraman toys were still selling. And there's also been TV movies, TV specials, an Ultraman Kids cartoon series, the animated TV movie Ultraman: The Adventure Begins (Hanna-Barbera/Tsuburaya; 1987), etc. Tsuburaya had also been busy trying very hard to crack the US market, especially with the latter.

Then, in 1988, reruns of the original Ultraman became extremely popular, as did the merchandise, consequently. So much so that Tsuburaya almost did a new series (before overseas deals put a kibosh on that, resulting in the two overseas series in 1990 and 1993, respectively)!

I think Tsuburaya will get along, series or no series. There will always be something Ultra-related along the way to maintain interest. It happened before. And they turned out all right.

There's still a market for Godzilla (mainly with adult collectors), despite Toho's arrogance. Did anyone see the new S.H.MonsterArts FiguArts toys by Tamashii Nations? Even with no new Godzilla movie in sight! (After Bandai pretty much put an end to the sofubi Godzilla toys.)

 

[kokowaks]

Tsuburaya would need their own momotaros to keep up with the other franchises...:laugh:

 

[MattComix]

Tsuburaya would need their own momotaros to keep up with the other franchises...:laugh:

Ugh, please no. I would hate to see Ultra get Den-Oed. :nono:

 

[ryuuseipro]

Ugh, please no. I would hate to see Ultra get Den-Oed. :nono:

Have to agree on this one.

Tsuburaya already has Pigmon, Kanegon, and other mascot-types. I'm cool with that.

 

[Daikamonohashi]

I'd be fine with a Den-O phenomenon within the Ultra series if it were, you know, GOOD. I actually think that's exactly what TPC was attempting with Ultimate Force Zero - less comedic but the same formula of using big-name voice actors to draw in crowds - and I would have been totally down for that.

 

[okunohoshimichi]

I've heard Tsuburaya did extremely well on stage shows and other events like the annual Ultraman Festival and Shōgatsu Festival recently.

 

[knightphoenix2]

Saga Is Ultraman's Last Chance ...

Not... really? Super 8 was their highest-grossing film, like, ever and it only made about 8.3 million - that's not much more than that year's awful Kiva movie, which made about 8 million and it's less than Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, which, at about 10 million, was the lowest-grossing successful entry into the Millennium series of Godzilla films.

Ultra Galaxy Legends grossed only about 6.2 million and assuming it had a higher budget than the previous film (that's what I've generally been led to believe), it's little wonder that TYO dropped Tsuburaya so quickly, even if it did manage to turn a small profit. Compare that with the Rider film it was competing with, Movie War 2010, which took in 16 million.

Then Ultraman Zero the Movie, not to be outdone, only drew 4.3 million at the box office while Rider outstripped it again with 16.5 million. Now, I've been told that toy sales are what really matter to Tsuburaya when it comes to determining the success of a movie or series or not but I dunno... these numbers are kind of sad regardless. Hopefully with the extra marketing, Retsuden, Ultra Zone, AKB48, DAIGO, Takeshi Tsuruno, Dyna, and Cosmos, the film can at least come back to Super 8 levels.



... Actually, though part of this had to do with their respective time slots, Ultraman Max actually had the higher ratings of the two throwback series. ...



Are you referring to the rumors and rumblings we kept hearing about "a new series in the spring?" or something akin to that?

(Snip)

Could the superior performance of the Kamen Rider movies at the box office have to do with the fact that there were active TV series at the time? Or had a built-in star factor to draw in the crowds? I think that if Tsuruno had had a bigger share of screen time for Ultra Galaxy Legend, considering that his prescence was heavily marketed before the film's premiere, it might've gotten a bit closer to Super 8's totals. I think that the reason why The Revenge of Belial didn't do so well was because they hadn't given Zero a big-name star as a human host - and didn't have any of human hosts of the other featured Showa Ultramen as well.

Which explains why Tsuburaya really pulled out the stops this time around to get big-name rock stars, plus the youngest of the successful Heisei Ultras' hosts, to headline the movie. And, really going all out on the production and special effects, thanks to their latest benefactor. They simply must have a successful movie, if there's to be any chance of starting a new TV series. Plus, they must return to the optimistic outlook of Tiga, Gaia, Cosmos, & Max. Max was much more cheerful and optimistic than Nexus, and it got the higher ratings. Dyna had had much better ratings during the light-hearted, comedic first half of the series, than the darker, Shakespearean tragic second half.

If Saga works out, and Tsuburaya is ready for it, they could follow up with a new series in the fall. But, if Saga doesn't work out, it could very well be the end.