GKIDS Acquires Rights for The First Slam Dunk’s North American Premiere
One of the best representations of fan devotion to an anime series over time is the First Slam Dunk film. After 27 years after the release of the previous film, Howling Basketman Spirit!! is the newest installment.
Japan, China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan have all released the film as of this writing. This year also marks its debut in the Western Hemisphere.
On Monday, GKIDS said that the company has purchased the North American distribution rights to the film The First Slam Dunk. This summer, the film will have its world premiere in both the English version and the Japanese dub with subtitles in the United States and Canada.
Ryota Miyagi’s story of how he learned to love basketball is the subject of this documentary. After that, we see the Shohoku squad taking on the defending champions from Sannoh High in a game.
On December 3rd, The First Slam Dunk debuted in Japanese theaters. About US$9.50 million or 1.29 billion yen was made from ticket sales of 847,000 people. It also broke the record for biggest opening weekend earnings in Japan. Currently, it ranks as the twelfth highest-earning Japanese film of all time.
At the 46th annual Japan Academy Film Prizes, this film took home the trophy for Animation of the Year. At the 42nd annual Fujimoto Awards, producer Toshiyuki Matsui was also presented with the general award.
Since I saw the first trailer, I’ve been blown away by the animation. Since Suzume has also been released in the area, we’d like to know, after you’ve seen The First Slam Dunk, which of the two you preferred. Although the films belong to different genres, your overall impression of them will be the same.
The First Slam Dunk
The First Slam Dunk is the first Slam Dunk anime film to be released in its entirety. Takehiko Inoue, author of the Slam Dunk manga series and now a director in his own right, helmed and wrote the film.
The film follows Shohoku Basketball Team point guard Ryota Miyagi. Ryota, Hanamichi, and the rest of their high school basketball team take on the reigning champions from the Sanno school.
Read more: The First Slam Dunk
