| Sayonara Jupiter | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Koji Hashimoto Sakyo Komatsu |
| Written by | Sakyo Komatsu Koji Hashimoto |
| Starring | Dangely Diane Akihiko Hirata Andrew Hughes Tomokazu Miura Masumi Okada |
| Studio | Kabushika Kaisha |
| Distributed by | Toho |
| Release date(s) | 1984 |
| Running time | 130 min. |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese English |
Sayonara Jupiter (さよならジュピター Sayonara Jiupitā, English release: Bye Bye Jupiter) is a 1984 Japanese science fiction film directed by Koji Hashimoto and produced by Toho. The script was adapted by pioneering science-fiction author Sakyo Komatsu from his novel Sayonara Jupiter (1982). The special effects were directed by Koichi Kawakita.
Cast with an unusual mix of actors speaking English, French and Japanese, the film was conceived by the struggling Toho film empire as a rival to the forthcoming box office blockbuster hit 2010. The two films bear comparison of plot elements. Sayonara Jupiter tells the story of Eji Honda, an idealistic scientist whose international team plans to harness solar energy from Jupiter by turning it into a new sun.
But the project suffers setbacks after his American best friend dies in a black hole, alien hieroglyphics appear on Mars, and his ex-girlfriend—an implacable enemy of the Jupiter Project—shows up in his life. To make things worse, a shark—also named Jupiter—is attacking innocent beachgoers on Earth. And its owner, the folk-singing leader of the environmentalists, is refusing to stop the creature.
This was actor Akihiko Hirata's final film role. He was set to star in The Return of Godzilla (1984), but died of throat cancer before he was cast. In one scene, Honda watches Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, which featured a much younger Akihiko Hirata.