DC Studios

The influence of Japan special effects on the new 'Superman' Director James Gunn aims for a human drama like 'Godzilla-1.0'

James Gunn, the writer and director of Superman and co-CEO of the new company DC Studios, revealed in a remote interview that the film was influenced by Japan's tokusatsu films. [Video] Superman vs Super Giant Creature KAIJU! "Superman" Book Trailer Speaking of director Gunn, he grew up watching the "Ultraman" series obsessively as a child, and is known for his love of special effects so much that he describes Ultraman as the "father of movies". At the Tokyo International Film Festival, where he served as jury president in 2017, he showed three rare shots of Ultraman and Alien Baltan. Also, when "Kamen Rider" became a trend on social media due to the start of subscription distribution in the United States, people asked me, "Do you like Kamen Rider? I love you," and his love is so strong that he murmurs. The trailer for Superman features a ferocious giant creature called Kaiju. The way he spits flame breath at Superman and overruns the city is reminiscent of Ultra Kaiju. Director Gunn responded that KAIJU was "influenced by tokusatsu." In this work, it is said that the aim is to combine the world of tokusatsu and DC Comics. "Giant monsters, robots, flying dogs, other superheroes...... We tried to blend those elements." Gunn also cited "Godzilla-1.0" (2023), which has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad, as an example, saying, "My goal is to make a movie like 'Godzilla-1.0' that depicts Godzilla but has a wonderful human drama." "Superman and flying dogs (= crypts) appear in this work, but at the root of it is a human story, and the relationship between Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and (villain) Lex Luthor is the core of the work." Gunn's depiction of Superman is not so much a new image of Superman as it is a feeling of "re-presenting" the image of Superman that has been depicted for many years. "He portrays a character with the optimism and hope that we think of when we think of Superman, such as goodness, kindness, compassion, and respect for human life. There is some overlap with the real world we live in." (Interview and text: Editorial Department, Takuya Kuramoto) The movie "Superman" will be released simultaneously in Japan and the United States on Friday, July 11.