ULTRAMAN2: requiem

ULTRAMAN2: requiem
Information
Release Date(s)	Unproduced
Directed by	Kazuya Konaka
Written by	Keiichi Hasegawa
Production/Release
Previous	ULTRAMAN

ULTRAMAN2: requiem（ウルトラマン2: レクイエム） (Urutoraman 2: rekuiemu) is an unreleased film. It was originally planned as a sequel to the film ULTRAMAN, set to be released in the winter of 2005.

The film was to be directed by Kazuya Konaka, who was part of the production team of the previous work, with Keiichi Hasegawa as the screenwriter. However, production of the film was halted without any official announcement to the public.

Production

The project was initially announced to the public with a special notice at the end of the screening of ULTRAMAN in 2004, declaring its production and scheduled release in the winter of 2005.

According to Kazuya Konaka, the film's storyline was set in Kobe City, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the recovery from the Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995. The production work was carried out in full cooperation with Kobe City. However, the background of this film is not a continuation of the previous work, nor is it related to other works of the Ultra N Project. It is set in an independent worldview, exploring a new theme: "In a world without visitors, Memory Police, or NR, how will humanity respond to previously unseen terrifying monsters?".

However, due to lower-than-expected box office revenue from the ULTRAMAN film and the low ratings of the concurrently aired TV series Ultraman Nexus, the production of the film was halted internally. It is said that at the time of the production halt, Hideaki Tsuburaya and the then-company president Kazuo Tsuburaya personally went to the production site to explain the reasons for the halt. However, it was later revealed by Kazuo Tsuburaya that he did not genuinely intend to halt the production, which also became one of the reasons for the subsequent change in company leadership.

The movie Ultraman Mebius & the Ultra Brothers, released in 2006, chose to shoot in Kobe, which was also a response from Tsuburaya Productions to apologize to the city of Kobe for the suspension of the film production.

In 2016, Konaka briefly mentioned the content of this film at a screening event held by the Directors Guild of Japan. He stated that the film aimed to challenge the perception of Ultraman as a "monster killer" and attempted to resolve issues outside of battles.

On the same day, Hasegawa posted a tweet on Twitter mentioning that the film had already begun production at the time. He described some completed details, including scenes shot at Kobe Luminarie, the female protagonist's portrayal of a sorrowful expression in the final scene, and the design of the monsters.

In 2018, during an interview with the Waseda University Tokusatsu Review Council, Konaka mentioned the existence of the film as well as YELLOW EYES.

In 2024, Konaka once again mentioned the storyline and background of the film in the book "Ultraman New Generation Proof Ginga, Ginga S, X, Orb, Geed & Zero." He reiterated that the film aimed to challenge the image of Ultraman solely focused on battles and posed the question, "Is there another way to resolve conflicts besides fighting?" This theme was also mentioned in a post he made in 2022.

Synopsis

The protagonist of the story is two boys and two girls, high school students. One of the female characters died after experiencing the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Ten years later, the adult protagonist became an actively engaged rescue worker, but in an accident, he was endowed with the ability to transform into Ultraman by a beam of red light.

However, a beam of blue light descended to Earth and merged with the protagonist's friend, who had been closed off from the world. Out of a strong desire to resurrect the girl who died in the earthquake, his friend ultimately transformed into a monster. The protagonist also deeply loved this girl, so he keenly felt this pain. However, for the sake of Earth's peace, he must defeat his friend, but this concern made him suffer immensely.

According to Konaka's testimony, the original script's ending was supposed to involve the fusion of two individuals, leading to a conclusion where there was "no distinction between good and evil".

Gallery

Special report

Draft Script

Draft Script

Final Script

Trivia

• The existence of the film has not been mentioned in existing official information, but a draft script was exposed in an online auction in 2012. Additionally, a finalized script was revealed in an online auction in 2017.
• In this film, an original Ultraman character and four original monsters were created. Among them, the last monster was named Requiem, but the suit was not used after production. In Ultra Fight Orb, Requiem appears under the name Reibatos. According to the booklet provided with the Blu-ray version of Ultra Fight Orb, Reibatos is an unused monster suit created by Ichiro Itano (basic design) and Yasushi Torisawa (production), described as "a humanoid enemy with the ability to resurrect the dead."
• The original Ultraman character, originally scheduled to appear, is believed to have been repurposed as the suit for Zett after modifications to its head. However, unlike Reibatos, this is not mentioned in official versions.