Ultraman 60th-anniversary documentary THE ORIGIN OF ULTRAMAN opens in Japanese theatres on July 3, 2026, featuring commentary by Guillermo del Toro and other domestic and international creators.

The film marked the 60th anniversary of the Ultraman series, which recorded a peak 42.8% viewership rating during its original 1966 broadcast. Tsuburaya Productions continued to expand the franchise globally.

Director Guillermo del Toro appeared in the documentary and sent a self-recorded video message for the Japanese release. He greeted viewers and said Ultraman was an international hero for children in Latin America and Europe.

Del Toro addressed the audience and mentioned planning director Hirokazu Koreeda, saying, “Everyone, please enjoy THE ORIGIN OF ULTRAMAN. (See you,) Koreeda-san.” Koreeda and del Toro discussed influential Ultraman episodes in the film.

The documentary assembled creators including del Toro, Koreeda, Hideo Kojima, Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi, and Nicolas Winding Refn. It examined Ultraman, kaiju backstories, design aesthetics, and the work of Eiji Tsuburaya and his team.

The film was planned by Koreeda and produced by Slow Hand for Tsuburaya Productions. Distribution was handled by TOHO NEXT and Tsuburaya Productions.