Ultraman: The Adventure Begins

Ultraman: The Adventure Begins was an animated movie joint produced by Hanna-Barbera and Tsuburaya Productions in 1987. The movie was titled for its Japanese release in 1989. The movie was intended as a backdoor pilot for an animated series, but no such series ever emerged. However, the costumes based on the three main heroes (the Ultra Force) were made for use in stage shows in Japan.
==Production==
In the 1980s, Tsuburaya Productions proposed creating theatrical films based on the Ultraman series. These projects included Ultraman: Monster Bible and Ultra Q: Monster Concerto. However, due to concerns about the content and potential box office performance, these proposals were ultimately shelved. At that time, President Noboru Tsuburaya strongly hoped that the Ultraman series could be produced as theatrical films or TV series in the United States, aiming to make Ultraman a global character., pg 20
The precursor to Ultraman: The Adventure Begins can be traced back to 1979, with a project referred to by the Japanese staff as "US Ultraman." The script was titled Ultraman: The Jupiter Effect.https://www.videojunkie.org/2012/09/the-never-got-made-files-76-79-glut-of.html?zx=b6fe6867ccd265b8https://www.angelfire.com/film/unmadekaiju/ultramanjupiter.html This project was planned to be directed by Akio Jissoji, with the English script written by Jeff Segal, and was scheduled to start filming in the winter of 1979. Reportedly, the movie even advertised in English newspapers. However, just as the main staff were about to travel to the U.S. for pre-production, the project was canceled.The remaining script was used as a modified version for an English recut of the finale of The☆Ultraman, and the concept and general premise were utilized as a building block for Ultraman: Towards the Future.
Despite this, the overseas expansion project continued to be part of Tsuburaya Productions' film planning. Between 1981 and 1983, Tsuburaya Productions established a planning department in the United States called "ULTRA COM," with the aim of creating a film script titled Ultraman: Hero from the Stars., pg 21 This film, written by Donald F. Glut, focused on the story of an Ultraman active in the United States. The initial plan was to produce a live-action tokusatsu film, with Jackson Bostwick and Anne Lockhart cast as the main actors.https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/06/11/i-was-a-teenage-movie-maker-donald-f-glut-on-his-kaiju-related-projects/https://www.angelfire.com/film/unmadekaiju/ultramanhero.html
However, considering various factors such as production costs and budget promotion, the project was ultimately decided to be produced in animated form. This transition was confirmed around 1985. After extensive discussions, Tsuburaya Productions decided to collaborate with the American animation production company Hanna-Barbera Productions to create the animation.
The reason for selecting Hanna-Barbera as a partner lies in the fact that since its establishment in 1960, the company has produced many well-known television animated works and enjoys high visibility in Japan as well. Although the animation production was carried out by the Japanese production company Studio SIGN and Ashi Productions, Hanna-Barbera provided crucial advice and guidance in planning and production. In 1986, the project entered the specific implementation phase, with Mitsuo Kusakabe from a Japanese studio serving as the director, and the script being jointly authored by four American writers under the pen name John Eric Seward. Eventually, the television pilot version was completed in 1987, which is the current movie version.
Due to various reasons, the planned TV animated series for Ultraman: The Adventure Begins was ultimately not realized. However, the concept of this series was incorporated into the "New Ultraman" project undertaken by Tsuburaya Productions in Japan since 1986. This trend became the primary direction for Tsuburaya Productions in producing Ultraman: Towards the Future" after 1989.
Ultraman: The Adventure Begins finally premiered on October 12, 1987, on television in the United States. On April 28, 1989, it was released in Japan as part of the Ultraman Festival in a Japanese dubbed version, a film program that also included Ultraman: Terror on Route 87, Ultraman Ace: Giant-Ant Terrible-Monster VS the Ultra Brothers, and Ultraman Kids.https://tsuburaya-prod.com/news/499
===Original Concept===
An early pilot film treatment from 1986 had a working title of "The Evil That Men Do: An Ultra Adventutre" with a different premise and cast of five Ultra characters although the main one was still referred to as Scotty, perhaps a holdover from the earlier U.S. adaptation of Ultraman Joneus which was also helmed by screenwriter Jeff Segal.
===Legacy===
Due to its nature as a foreign co-production, for the longest time the movie's ability to be officially released outside of Japan was marred with difficulties. However, 38 years after its initial release, the film has been confirmed to be reciving a new home media release in Spring 2025, incluing a brand new English dub, as well as a novelization of the movie.https://vxtwitter.com/UltramanConnect/status/1811921198982283516?t=mz47JIHQ4roDswYxghSV1g&s=19
==Plot==
Scott, Chuck, and Beth, a trio of stunt pilots, experience a strange burst of light during a stunt show. In spite of their planes crashing as a result, they emerge unharmed. They are soon contacted by an agent from outer space (whose secret identity is the groundskeeper of a Pebble Beach golf course), who informs them that they've become the host forms of three alien warriors who've arrived to protect the planet from a group of monsters from the planet Sorkin. The three pilots become the members of a group called the Ultra Force headquartered within Mount Rushmore. They are equipped with futuristic fighter ships, and when in particularly great danger they automatically assume the forms of the alien warriors. After defeating the final Sorkin monsters, the warriors remain on Earth to protect it from further danger.
==Characters==
===Ultra Force===
*Scott Masterson
*Chuck Gavin
*Beth O'Brian
*Walter Freeman
*Ulysses
*Samson
*Andy
===Others===
*Susan Rand
===Ultras===
*Ultraman Scott
*Ultraman Chuck
*Ultrawoman Beth
===Kaiju===
*Green Shocks
*Garuballade
*Zoon
*King Myra
==Cast==
Character 	Original 	Japanese
Scott Masterson/Ultraman Scott	Michael Lembeck 	Toru Furuya
Chuck Gavin/Ultraman Chuck 	Chad Everett 	Shinji Ogawa
Beth O'Brien/Ultrawoman Beth 	Adrienne Barbeau 	Hiromi Tsuru
Walter Freeman 	Stacy Keach, Sr. 	Kōhei Miyauchi
Susan Rand 	Lorna Patterson 	Rihoko Yoshida
Newsman 	David Hall 	Unknown
Scientist 	David Hall 	Unknown
General Cooper 	Ed Gilbert 	Takeshi Aono
Old Lady 	Adrienne Alexander	Unknown
Woman 	Adrienne Alexander	Unknown
Andy 	Charley Adler 	Kyoko Yamada
Samson 	Ronald Schell 	Hiroshi Ōtake
Ulysses 	William Callaway 	Isamu Tanonaka
Cajun 	Peter Renaday 	Unknown
Paramedic 	Peter Renaday 	Unknown
Clarinetist 	Al Fann 	Unknown
Paramedic 	Al Fann 	Unknown
Mark Watkins 	Mark Taylor 	Kaneto Shiozawa
Baldinger/Colonel Bodinger 	Allan Lurie 	Masaharu Sato
Aide 	Vince Trankina 	Unknown
Doctor #2 	Vince Trankina 	Unknown
Photographer 	Vince Trankina 	Unknown
Dr. Philby 	Les Tremayne 	Yasuo Tanaka
===Additional Voices===
*Masato Hirano
*Hiroyuki Satou
*Kōzō Shioya
*Kazumi Tanaka
*Kouji Totani
*Kouji Yada
==Staff==
*Executive Producer: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, Noboru Tsuburaya
*Producer, Original Story: Noboru Tsuburaya
*Creative Producer for Hanna-Barbera: Jeff Segal, Kelly Ward
*Writer: John Eric Seward
*Supervising Director: Ray Patterson
*Director: Mitsuo Kusakabe
*Creative Design: Iwao Takamoto
*Key Character Design: Floro Dery
*Key Background Supervisor: Al Gmuer
*Character Design: Kazuo Iimura
*Background: Akira Furuya
*Voice Director: Gordon Hunt
*Animation Casting Director: Andrea Romano
*Talent Coordinator: Kris Zimmerman
*Sound Director: Noriyoshi Matsuura
*Editorial Supervisor: Larry C. Cowan, Joe Sandusky
*Film Editor: Naoyuki Masaki
*Music: Shinsuke Kazato
*Ultraman Theme Music: Toshikazu Tokura
*Musical Producer: Hidetoshi Kimura
*Musical Director: Kazuo Kogure
*Executive in Charge of Production: Jayne Barbera
== Music== 
:;Opening Theme
*
**Lyrics: Yū Aku
**Composition: Toshikazu Tokura
**Arrangement: Shinsuke Kazato
**Artist: Shinichi Ishihara Feat. Koorogi '73
:;Ending Theme
*
**Lyrics: Yū Aku
**Composition: Toshikazu Tokura
**Arrangement: Shinsuke Kazato
**Artist: Shinichi Ishihara Feat. Koorogi '73
===Soundtrack===
The music was composed by Shinsuke Kazato and released by Nippon Columbia. The soundtrack was released as a Limited Edition printing of 5,000 copies. Kazato would go on to compose the Soundtrack to Ultraman Great, and both works feature the same main theme.
==Home Media==
Ultraman: The Adventure Begins was initially released on VHS in April 1989, followed by a LaserDisc release in July 1991.
Due to shared ownership of the rights by two companies, the film remained unavailable on DVD or Blu-ray for a considerable period. Besides copyright issues, a major obstacle was the lack of contact with the screenwriter, John Eric Seward, which led to complications in royalty payments.
In April 2018, Tsuburaya Productions placed an advertisement on the "Rights Information Center" page of the Copyright Research and Information Center, seeking contact information for John Eric Seward.https://www.cric.or.jp/c_search/doc/search1803_tsuburaya.pdfShortly after, an American volunteer expressed willingness to provide relevant information via Twitter. According to this volunteer, "John Eric Seward" was not a single individual's name but rather a collective pseudonym shared by three to four individuals.http://blog.livedoor.jp/mdgw7/archives/30909766.html
On September 26 of the same year, Bandai Namco Arts officially released the Blu-ray version, digitally remastered from 35mm film to high-definition digital format. This edition marked the first time both the Japanese and English versions were included.https://m-78.jp/ultraman-bd/ultramanusa/index.htmlhttps://m-78.jp/news/post-4813
In July 2024, Mill Creek announced plans for a 2025 release of the film as part of an announcement of a screening at G-Fest XXIX.https://collider.com/ultraman-the-adventure-begins-screenings-g-fest/
USA Laserdisk.png|Laser Disk cover
USA blueray.png|Blu-ray cover
==Gallery==
Ultraman The Adventure Begins Logo.png
Ultraman usa logo.png
Ultraman The Adventure Begins Japan 01.webp
Ultraman_USA_poster.png|Japanese poster
USA JP.png|Alternative poster
UUSA3.jpg|Concept art by Floro Dery
UUSA1.jpg|Concept art by Floro Dery
UUSA2.jpg|Concept art by Floro Dery
==Trivia==
*This movie marks the last Ultraman Series production of the Showa era.
**Although it was first produced and premiered during the Showa period, the era had changed to Heisei by the time the movie was available in Japan. Hence, Tsuburaya Productions officially recognizes this film as the first "Heisei" Ultraman Series production, as verified in magazines from 2019.
==External Links==
*Ultraman: The Adventure Begins the Future at Tsuburaya Productions' official website
==References==
Category:Movies
Category:Movies Dubbed in Japanese
Category:Productions
Category:Ultraman: The Adventure Begins
Category:Showa Movies