Chapter 232: Confrontation at the Premiere
As the movie's release date approached day by day, Matsuoka Hiroyasu's sense of unease grew stronger.
The only thing that gave him a slight sense of comfort was that Shinji Matou and his Ultraman film would hit theaters first.
Up until now, Shinji Matou had not publicly disclosed the production cost of Super 8 (Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers). But considering that he had hired male idols from Johnny & Associates and was using some new 3D technology, anyone with half a brain could tell that the film's budget was definitely not small.
But how much box office revenue could this new Ultraman movie actually bring in?
It was well known that Ultraman movies and TV series were two completely different things.
Pre-New Generation Ultraman TV series, despite having the occasional quirky or offbeat episode, generally maintained a solid level of quality, with numerous legendary episodes sprinkled throughout.
But the theatrical releases? That was a different story.
Forget about the Showa Era Compilation Trilogy—even the Heisei Era Ultraman movies were notorious for their erratic and absurd storytelling.
Not that they were outright bad, but they were certainly a step down compared to the TV series.
The biggest issue was the Ultraman film franchise's box office track record.
To date, not a single Ultraman movie has ever surpassed 800 million yen in box office earnings.
Forget about turning a profit—Shinji Matou would be lucky if his movie didn't end up in the red.
"Judging from the promotional materials, that film's budget is definitely over 1 billion yen. This movie is going to lose him a fortune!"
After reaching this conclusion, Matsuoka suddenly felt a lot more relaxed.
"Maybe... I'll get to witness that brat's downfall firsthand?!"
He couldn't help but think maliciously.
While Matsuoka harbored ill will toward Shinji's new movie, another opponent—the film critics—felt nothing but boredom.
"That brat... is he chickening out?"
Kawachi Ippei put down his newspaper and shook his head with a sigh.
His assistant glanced at the article and scoffed.
"I think he's just using this to test his so-called 'new technology.' No Ultraman movie has ever made serious money anyway—if this one flops, it won't be a big deal."
That wasn't just the assistant's opinion—most of the industry insiders shared the same sentiment.
After all, Shinji Matou had said it himself:
"This is just an experiment for new technology."
Kawachi folded the newspaper and set it aside, sneering.
"Regardless, Super 8 is still a tokusatsu movie. We can't exactly criticize it."
Although Shinji Matou hadn't intended for it to be perceived this way, the vast majority of film critics still saw Super 8 as nothing more than a children's tokusatsu movie.
As long as its moral values were intact, the simplicity of its plot didn't matter.
Even if the film did explore the complexity of human nature—would kids even understand that?
Criticizing a children's movie for having a weak plot was like comparing a bicycle's braking system to a Tesla's—even if you win, it's embarrassing.
"Either way, even without your involvement, this movie is still going to face competition from Toho. It won't do well regardless." The assistant reminded him.
Kawachi leaned back on the sofa, gazing at the ceiling in thought.
For Japan's May summer blockbuster season, two films had dominated the promotional landscape:
1. Godzilla
2. Super 8
Both were revivals of legendary tokusatsu franchises, and both had kept their marketing shrouded in mystery.
For Godzilla, none of the trailers had shown the titular monster's full face—it seemed like Toho was saving that reveal for the actual premiere.
For Super 8, the cast and plot synopsis had been released to the public, but its marketing strategy seemed to be operating under two separate playbooks...
One promotional campaign focused solely on Ultraman and monster battles, while the other played heavily into nostalgia. These two marketing approaches were so vastly different that audiences even speculated whether Super 8 might actually be two separate films.
But to veteran film critic Kawachi Ippei, these two highly anticipated movies were nothing more than a battle between the sleazy neighbor and an outlaw named Zhang San—both were equally rotten to the core!
"A bunch of pretentious gimmicks just to create artificial hype," Kawachi snorted. "Whatever. Tomorrow will reveal everything! I just hope that troublemaking brat doesn't disappoint me."
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Compared to these skeptics, Shinji Matou's fans had been eagerly anticipating Super 8 for a long time.
After all, while Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero had maintained a steady one movie per year production pace, this new Ultraman film marked a two-year gap since Shinji's last movie.
A production time this long could only mean one of two things:
1. It was an exceptionally well-crafted masterpiece.
2. It was a disaster they were too scared to release.
And given Shinji Matou's consistent track record of high-quality films, his fans were inclined to believe Super 8 would be the former.
As a result, anticipation for the film was sky-high.
Sure, Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel had helped fill the void during those two years, but TV series on the small screen could never match the thrill of watching a blockbuster film on the big screen.
So when Type-Moon and Time Group finally announced the release date, fans exploded with excitement.
Pre-orders for the Super 8 premiere far exceeded expectations.
Especially among those who had seen test screenings—they wasted no time securing IMAX tickets, leading to a complete sellout of all first-round IMAX showings.
It sounded unbelievable, but in reality, it wasn't that surprising.
IMAX screens were still a rarity in this era.
Even in mature film markets like North America and Japan, there were only a handful of IMAX theaters.
Luckily, Matsuoka Hiroyasu didn't need to compete with regular fans for tickets.
As a senior executive at Toho, he had received a VIP invitation to the Fuyuki City premiere.
He doubted it was Shinji Matou's way of provoking him, since Shinji had also invited countless other high-ranking executives from the film industry.
Japan's Big Four film companies were all in attendance.
The Big Four talent agencies, including Johnny & Associates, were also invited.
Beyond that, the guest list included renowned filmmakers, major media outlets, and even executives from Hollywood and European studios.
Sure, few actual celebrities or idols were present at this event—
But the people seated in this theater?
They were the true power players of the modern film industry.
In such a star-studded industry gathering, if Shinji Matou hadn't invited Toho, that would've been petty.
Of course, Matsuoka also understood what this meant—
Shinji Matou was extremely confident in Super 8.
At the very least, he had absolute faith in his new technology.
Bringing in so many industry leaders to watch the premiere?
That was clearly a strategic move to promote his technology.
Still slightly dazed by the scale of the event, Matsuoka walked through the red carpet and into the Type-Moon Cinema lobby.
At that moment, Shinji—who had been speaking with the Kitagawa siblings—noticed him and walked over.
Instantly, the entire room turned their attention toward Matsuoka and Shinji Matou.
The media had been hyping up the "Ultraman vs. Godzilla" rivalry for weeks, and now, every insider was watching eagerly to see how this showdown would unfold.
They were all waiting for some drama.
Maybe Shinji Matou would just punch Toho's representative in the face?
Now that would make things even more interesting!
Unfortunately for them, that wasn't going to happen.
Shinji simply smiled and extended his hand.
"Director Matsuoka, what an unexpected guest!"
Matsuoka's expression remained casual, but his words revealed a subtle insecurity.
"I heard that Director Matou is about to unveil an era-defining technology. As Japan's leading film company, Toho naturally had to send a representative to witness it firsthand."
By emphasizing Toho as Japan's number one, it was clear—
Matsuoka was already on the defensive.
Shinji, however, seemed completely unfazed by the underlying message. He casually clasped his hands together and said,
"Oh, no, no. If Toho actually took an interest in my little toys, that would be a blessing earned over three lifetimes! But hey, it's not my fault your company's distribution standards are so high, is it?"
"The Japanese film market has been thriving in recent years, thanks in no small part to Director Matou's outstanding contributions. Since your new film premieres today, it's only natural for me to come and show my support."
Of course, Matsuoka Hiroyasu caught the sarcasm in Shinji Matou's words, but he tactfully avoided bringing up that sore subject—Toho's decision to reject Fate/stay night's distribution years ago.
To this day, everyone at Toho regretted that decision.
Even Matsuoka, despite his antagonistic stance toward Shinji, had to admit it was a massive blunder.
Especially in light of Bandai's financial reports in recent years, which proudly showcased Fate as a goldmine of revenue. The sight of those numbers alone made Toho's executives sick to their stomachs.
Shinji Matou had approached Toho first—and Toho had shut the door in his face.
But Shinji wasn't done with his passive-aggressive jabs just yet.
After Matsuoka expressed his supportive stance, Shinji nodded along and "praised" him with a smile:
"Toho truly is magnanimous. Watching a project they rejected turn into a massive hit, yet choosing not to retaliate by sending critics to tear it apart, not leveraging their influence to blacklist me, and certainly not going as far as producing a rival film just to compete head-to-head—"
"If it were any other studio, they'd have tried everything to keep me from rising to the top. The fact that Japan's film industry is led by such a benevolent company like Toho—what an honor that is!"
'You little bastard, who the hell do you think you're mocking?!'
Matsuoka instantly felt his blood pressure rise.
Because everything Shinji just said?
Toho had actually done it all.
They had tried everything to suppress Shinji Matou and Type-Moon Films.
And yet, they failed.
Oh—except for one thing.
The rival movie—that battle was still undecided. He refused to acknowledge defeat yet!
Despite the string of profanities running through his mind, Matsuoka's years of corporate discipline allowed him to maintain his composure.
He simply pretended to take Shinji's words at face value, laughing as he responded:
"But of course! Toho's goal has always been the prosperity of the Japanese film market. Seeing a brilliant talent like you, Director Matou, rise to success is something we celebrate. We look forward to working with you more in the future."
"Of course, of course."
Seeing that Matsuoka could endure so well, Shinji decided not to press further.
With a polite smile, he extended a welcoming gesture.
"Director Matsuoka, please, this way!"
He then signaled for the theater staff to escort the Toho representatives to their reserved seats.
As soon as they sat down, the director of Toho's Godzilla film couldn't hold back his frustration.
"That little brat thinks he's hot shit! Who the hell does he think he is, acting so arrogant? He's just some orphan abandoned by critics and the mainstream!"
"He's earned that arrogance."
Matsuoka couldn't even be bothered to argue.
He simply closed his eyes and responded coolly.
The other director's face turned bright red, his throat tightening as if something were blocking his words.
He couldn't say anything in response.
Matsuoka, on the other hand, remained utterly unbothered.
The film was already finished.
Toho had already decided to part ways with this egotistical director.
If not for next week's Godzilla promotions, Matsuoka wouldn't have even bothered bringing him along tonight.
As the head of a major film studio, Matsuoka saw the industry far more clearly than those deeply entrenched in the craft.
Critics? Mainstream media?
All of that was meaningless.
What mattered was box office revenue.
If Shinji Matou could consistently turn investments into blockbuster earnings—
Then he was the most powerful director in the industry.
'Let's see if this film can finally shatter that brat's legend…'
Expressionless, Matsuoka fixed his gaze on the massive IMAX screen.
Just then—
The theater lights dimmed.
The room was plunged into darkness.
Super 8 (Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers) was about to begin.
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