ULTRAMAN ORB THE MOVIE Live Event in Kanagawa

Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: m-78.jp/orb/movie (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Distributor Shochiku has provided information and high-res photos of the live event that officially announced Tsuburaya Productions` 2017 feature film ULTRAMAN ORB THE MOVIE (??? ?????????????????????, Gekijoo-ban Urutoraman Oobu Kizuna no Chikara, Okari Shimasu!). Co-hosted by Hideo Ishiguro (who stars as Gai Kurenai in the ULTRAMAN ORB television series and movie), the "Ario Hashimoto Future Star Light" show took place at 5:00pm Wednesday, November 23rd during the lighting ceremony at Ario Hashimoto, a shopping complex in Oyamacho, Midori Ward, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. Ishiguro was joined onstage by Ultraman and Ultraman Tiga, and the three heroes unveiled a 4.5 meter (14.76 foot) tall statue of Ultraman Orb`s "Origin" form. They were then joined by Ultraman Orb himself, who debuted his new "Orb Trinity" form from the upcoming film.

Tsuburaya Prod. Official Channel coverage of the Ario Hashimoto Future Star Light event. Video courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions and Shochiku Co., Ltd. ULTRAMAN ORB THE MOVIE © 2017 “Ultraman Orb The Movie” Film Partners

2,700 fans -- both adults and children -- attended the event. Many held up their lighted Orb Rings (Ultraman Orb`s transformation device) in tribute to the hero`s catchphrase, "I’m Borrowing the Power of Your Lights!" "Orb Trinity has a fight scene with the weapon on the right shoulder that is so cool," Hideo Ishiguro said about the movie. "There are also developments with X`s Daichi Ozora [Kensuke Takahashi] and the role of Orb`s enemy Murnau [an evil witch introduced in the film]. Ittetsu Shibukawa [Shingo Yanagisawa] is also very funny. The hottest movie has been made, so I want everyone to see it soon!" The Ultraman Orb statue will be on display at Ario Hashimoto through Tuesday, February 28, 2017. ULTRAMAN ORB THE MOVIE will be released in Japan on Saturday, March 11, 2017.

About Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1895, Shochiku functions as a highly-tuned vertically integrated entertainment entity, encompassing feature film and television production, theatrical distribution of Japanese & foreign motion pictures, worldwide sales, exhibition, DVD and home video distribution and the Kabuki Theater. Shochiku operates one of the most successful motion picture divisions in Japan. The company has produced a number of critically and financially successful films, including the 2002 Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI, directed by Yoji Yamada, the first Japanese Academy Award nomination for a live-action film in 22 years. Shochiku’s latest include DEPARTURES by Yojiro Takita, the 2009 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film.

About Tsuburaya Productions

Tsuburaya Productions, creator and copyrights owner of the superhero ULTRAMAN series was founded in 1963 by Eiji Tsuburaya, world-renowned special effects wizard also known for his special effects work on the Godzilla series. With more than fifty years` experience, it is one of Japan`s oldest and most respected independent film and television production houses. Its popular Ultraman TV and film series which premiered in 1966 has been seen in over 100 territories worldwide and has spawned over 3,000 licensed products. In addition to production, the company also handles character licensing and program distribution and staging live stage shows both domestically and internationally.

For more information on ULTRAMAN ORB, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: