V6’s Hiroshi Nagano Returns as Ultraman Tiga in New Ultraman Movie for 2008

Pop singer Hiroshi Nagano (35), star of the 1996 Ultraman Tiga television series, will reprise his role as Daigo, the human form of Ultraman Tiga, in a new Ultraman feature film that will be released in Japanese cinemas next fall. Nagano last appeared as Daigo in the 2000 film, Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey.

“It’s been eight years since Daigo transformed into Tiga,” commented Nagano at a recent press conference announcing the new film, “I hope that I will be still able to transform properly for the audience, since it’s been so long.” Other Ultramen who have returned in their later days to transform again, include the original Ultraman, Susumu Kurobe (67), who appeared in last year’s Ultraman Moebius & The Ultra Brothers, as a senior to the new Ultraman. In the 41 year history of the Ultra Series, the oldest actor to first take the role was 27 year old Yusuke Kirishima, who starred in 2004’s Ultraman Nexus.

The new film directed by Takeshi Yagi, Decisive Battle! The 8 Super Ultra Brothers (Daikessen! Cho Ultra Hachi Ultra Kyodai), will feature eight different Ultramen, but precisely which ones, besides Ultraman Tiga, has not been revealed yet.

Original Ultra Series alumni, Ultraman movie producer, Kiyoshi Suzuki enthusiastically stated, “In recent years, we have pretty much ignored the mythology of the Heisei Ultras (produced in the 1990s), while we have been concentrating on returning to the Ultra Brothers of the Showa Era (1960s-1970s). Now, we will bring them both together for the first time.”

Source: Sponichi Annex

Article provided by August Ragone