{"rewrite":{"id":"r_997e990513ef4b8eba73bbc1","clusterId":"c_a5e4a1e7496f4aeaa37a6831","slug":"ultraman-franchise-gets-60th-anniversary-documentary-film","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Ultraman Franchise Gets 60th Anniversary Documentary Film","summary":"Tsuburaya Productions announced a documentary film titled The Origin of Ultraman, opening July 3, to celebrate the tokusatsu franchise's 60th anniversary. The film covers the creation of the original series with archival footage and interviews with original cast, crew, and notable fans including Guillermo del Toro, Hideaki Anno, and Hideo Kojima. Hirokazu Kore-eda is credited as the documentary's planner.","whyItMatters":"The documentary formalizes the franchise's cultural legacy by gathering both its original creators and its most prominent artistic inheritors in one project.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eHirokazu Kore-eda, the acclaimed director of live-action films like \u003ci\u003eAir Doll\u003c/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUmimachi Diary\u003c/i\u003e, is credited as the planner for \u003ci\u003eThe Origin of Ultraman\u003c/i\u003e, a documentary that Tsuburaya Productions announced on April 20. The film uses archival footage of Eiji Tsuburaya directing the original series and interviews with surviving staff such as visual artist Tōru \"Tohl\" Narita and actors Susumu Kurobe and Hiroko Sakurai. On the fan side, the interview list includes Guillermo del Toro, Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi, Hideo Kojima, and Nicolas Winding Refn, among others. The documentary opens July 3.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Tsuburaya Productions announced The Origin of Ultraman, a 60th anniversary documentary opening July 3. Hirokazu Kore-eda plans it; interviews include del Toro, Anno, Kojima, and original cast.","twitterPost":"Tsuburaya Productions announced The Origin of Ultraman, a 60th anniversary documentary opening July 3. Hirokazu Kore-eda plans it; interviews include del Toro, Anno, Kojima, and original cast.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Tsuburaya Productions announced a documentary film titled The Origin of Ultraman to mark the franchise's 60th anniversary. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda as planner, the film features archival footage of Eiji Tsuburaya and interviews with original cast and notable fans including Guillermo del Toro, Hideaki Anno, and Hideo Kojima. It opens July 3.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-05-13/ultraman-franchise-gets-60th-anniversary-documentary-film-on-july-3/.237338\",\"title\":\"Ultraman Franchise Gets 60th Anniversary Documentary Film on July 3\"}]","lintFlagsJson":"[]","lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":3996,"outputTokens":626,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1779827435,"createdAt":"2026-05-16T17:16:42.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-16T17:31:13.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-16T17:31:13.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_a5e4a1e7496f4aeaa37a6831","canonicalTitle":"Ultraman Franchise Gets 60th Anniversary Documentary Film on July 3","representativeArticleId":"a_1c5d93ad7d594f17eb90231f","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Ultraman\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Guillermo del Toro\",\"Hideaki Anno\",\"Hideo Kojima\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-05-14T02:15:52.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-05-14T02:15:52.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-18T15:50:31.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-05-13/ultraman-franchise-gets-60th-anniversary-documentary-film-on-july-3/.237338","title":"Ultraman Franchise Gets 60th Anniversary Documentary Film on July 3"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Ultraman"],"manga_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Guillermo del Toro","Hideaki Anno","Hideo Kojima"],"type":"announcement","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["The documentary The Origin of Ultraman opens July 3.","Hirokazu Kore-eda is the planner for the documentary.","The film includes interviews with Guillermo del Toro, Hideaki Anno, and Hideo Kojima.","Tsuburaya Productions announced the documentary on April 20.","The documentary uses archival footage of Eiji Tsuburaya directing the original Ultraman series."]}