Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno's film Shin Ultraman has passed an impressive box office milestone.

Over one million tickets have already been sold, according to TOHO, the movie's distributor. After only eight days in Japanese theaters, Shin Ultraman has earned over 1.5 billion yen (approximately $12 million USD); as previously reported, the movie pulled in 993 million yen (about $8 million USD) during its first three days of release alone, which set new records for the Ultraman franchise and for Anno's Shin movie series.

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The Ultraman franchise began with a live-action TV series created by Eiji Tsuburaya in 1966. The character has gone on to become a global pop culture phenomenon, spawning decades worth of sequels, spinoffs, adaptations and a massive merchandising empire that includes apparel, toys and other kinds of collectibles.

Shin Ultraman was directed by Shinji Higuchi, who helmed the two live-action Attack on Titan movies, and written by Anno, who also wrote and co-directed its predecessor Shin Godzilla. The film stars Takumi Saitoh, who previously appeared in the live-action adaptations of Space Battleship Yamato and Ace Attorney, as "the guy who becomes Ultraman." Other members of the cast include Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car), Daiki Arioka (Code Blue 3) and Koji Yamamoto (Kamen Rider Reiwa: The First Generation).

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Anno will follow up Shin Ultraman with Shin Kamen Rider, which is expected to make its debut in 2023 and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic superhero franchise. Actor Sōsuke Ikematsu, who previously appeared in 2016's Death Note: Light Up the New World, has been cast in the titular role. He is joined by Minami Hamabe (Let Me Eat Your Pancreas) and Tasuku Emoto (Anime Supremacy!).

If or when Shin Ultraman will receive an international or North American release has yet to be revealed; however, tokusatsu fans outside of Japan can still stream Netflix's Ultraman anime. The series functions as a direct sequel to the 1966 show, telling the story of Shinjiro Hayata, the son of original Ultraman protagonist Shin Hayata, and ignores the events of all subsequent continuations in the franchise. It is produced by Production IC (Ghost in the Shell) and Sola Digital Arts (Lord of the Rings: War of Rohirrim).

Netflix's Ultraman debuted its second season earlier this year. It was recently announced that the anime will return for a third and final season, but an official premiere date has not been confirmed.

Source: TOHO, via Anime News Network