Tsuburaya has announced the cast for the upcoming Shin Ultraman film directed by Shinji Higuchi and written by Hideaki Anno.

The announced cast members include Akari Hayami, Tetsuji Tanaka, Koji Yamamoto, Keishi Nagatsuka, Kyusaku Shimada, Toru Masuoka, Hajime Yamazaki, Ryo Iwamatsu, and Soukou Wada.

Actor and singer Daiki Arioka of Hey!Say! JUMP! was also announced as a cast member. Arioka, who is a part of the Johnny and Associates talent agency, which features many of Japan’s top boy bands and young actors, will be the first actor from the agency to take part in an Ultraman production since Hiroshi Nagano of V6, who played lead character Daigo Madoka in 1996’s Ultraman Tiga.

Masami Nagasawa, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and Takumi Saito were previously announced as leading cast members in the film.

Shin Ultraman aims to create a new take on the long-lasting tokusatsu hero franchise. Anno and Higuchi previously co-directed the 2016 film Shin Godzilla.

Source: Tsuburaya Station