Tsuburaya Productions, the legendary Japanese company behind the Ultraman franchise is teaming up with Iceberg Theory, Starlight Runner Entertainment, and The Licensing Group to produce Ultraman Connection Live Holiday Special, a massive global, virtual event that will feature exclusive first looks at new Ultraman content, products, and surprises for fans.
The show will be livestreamed from Tokyo on Friday, December 17th at 8pm EST/5pm PST and will usher in new paradigms from the Ultraman franchise. Ian Boggs (9.5 million TikTok followers), who is a huge fan of the Ultraman franchise, will make a special guest appearance during the show. He will portray the character of Dan Hayashi, a pirate radio host who makes a startling cosmic discovery.
The Ultraman Connection Live Holiday Special was birthed out of Ultraman Connection Live, a monthly virtual event series produced by the team. The series has become known for its computer animated intro and outro videos, which have hinted at happenings in the greater Ultraman universe, particularly the indirect impact that the Absolutian-Ultra War (from Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Absoute Conspiracy YouTube series on the Ultraman Official Channel) has been having on Earth. The Ian Boggs radio station sequence is the first live-action scene to be produced for the series.
As a special promotion, a special Ian Boggs hoodie will be offered in the Ultraman Connection merch store as well as through Ian’s social media platforms. Sharp-eyed fans will be able to spot a fascinating symbol on the hoodie’s front!
Ultraman Connection Live Holiday Special will premiere never-before-seen footage from Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroads, the third Ultra Galaxy Fight miniseries. It will be released in 2022.
The event will also showcase a live panel celebrating Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga hosted by perennial Ultraman Series and Ultraman Connection Live superstar, Sean Nichols. The session will be talk show style and feature Trigger cast members Runa Toyoda, who plays Yuna Shizuma, Kei Hosogai who plays Ignis, and Shimba Tsuchiya, who plays the human host of Ultraman Ribut. Previous Ultraman Connection Live shows have featured exciting live floor show battles between Ultraman heroes and studio-invading Kaiju! (That’s a hint!)
Once the stream ends, Ultraman Connection will post every episode of Ultraman Trigger series (episodes 1-20) for all participating members and fans to enjoy. Participants will also receive a special holiday gift during the show.
Advance tickets to Ultraman Connection Live Holiday Special are $10 and can be purchased today by CLICKING HERE.
JEFF GOMEZ, PRODUCER commented: “The Ultraman Connection Live Holiday Special is the latest in our series of virtual and livestream events that set a new paradigm for how fans can interact with their favorite franchise universe. Instead of fearing and distancing ourselves from the audience, we are inviting them to dialogue directly with us, interact with our characters and storylines, and help us shape and share the Ultraman universe across all media, licensing, and merchandising. We love our fans and have prepared something really special for them on December 17.”
HISTORY
The Ultraman series aired in Japan beginning with Ultra Q in 1966 and have run for over 55 years. The most famous and celebrated Japanese superhero of all time, Ultraman, has joined the ranks of the most iconic characters in global popular culture. A silver Giant of Light who stands over 100 feet tall, Ultraman hails from the distant Nebula M78, arriving on Earth to protect the human race against an endless array of invading aliens and giant monsters (Kaiju). Ultraman and his human friends join forces in defending the world using advanced high-tech weapons and vehicles. Having melded with human Shin Hayata, Ultraman only appears when he is most needed.
The classic Ultraman TV series aired in Japan beginning in 1966, and continues through today, boasting nearly a thousand episodes. It has spawned dozens of movies, live shows and a robust licensing program throughout Asia that generates over US $100 million per year. Tsuburaya Productions’ Ultraman franchise is still going strong with the most recent series Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga, Netflix’s #1 CG animated series, Anime ULTRAMAN beginning its second season in 2022, and the recently announced Netflix CG animated ULTRAMAN feature film. Tsuburaya Productions works with The Licensing Group, Iceberg Theory, and Starlight Runner Entertainment to produce ongoing content for UltramanConnection.com, the franchise’s global fan hub.
Upon its return to the U.S., Ultraman has captured the excitement of older fans who remember watching it on U.S. TV from 1966 through the 1980s; but younger fans are rapidly joining the fan base. A North America licensing program was created, headed by The Licensing Group’s Danny Simon, and it has grabbed the attention of dozens of new licensees, including Marvel Comics, which is currently publishing The Trials of Ultraman series, and dozens of makers of collectibles, apparel, publishing, and games.
