GKIDS Acquires Rights for N. American Premiere of The First Slam Dunk

The First Slam Dunk movie is one of the perfect examples of timeless love for an anime series. The film is the latest installment since the last film Howling Basketman Spirit!! premiered 27 years ago.

As of now, the film has been released in Japan, China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. It will also premiere in the West this year.

On Monday, GKIDS announced that it has acquired the rights for The First Slam Dunk for its distribution in North America. The film will premiere in the US and Canada this summer in both English dub and Japanese dub with subtitles.

The video focuses on Ryota Miyagi and his journey about how he became passionate about basketball. It then shows the Shohoku team playing a match against the champion team, Sannoh High.

The First Slam Dunk premiered on December 3 in theaters across Japan. It earned about 1.29 billion yen (US$9.50 million) by selling 847,000 tickets. It also became the highest-grossing film in Japan in its first weekend. As of now, it is the 12th highest-grossing film of all time in Japan.

The movie received the award for Animation of the Year at the 46th annual Japan Academy Film Prizes. Toshiyuki Matsui, the producer was also honored with the general award at the 42nd annual Fujimoto Awards.

I have been in awe of the animation since the first trailer. Now that Suzume has also been released in the region, we want to know which one you found better once you watch The First Slam Dunk. The genres are different, but it is mainly about the experience you had with both films.

About The First Slam Dunk

The First Slam Dunk is the first full-length anime movie from the Slam Dunk franchise. It is directed and written by Takehiko Inoue, the creator of the Slam Dunk manga series, marking his debut as a director.

The movie follows Ryota Miyagi, the point guard of the Shohoku Basketball Team. Ryota, Hanamichi, and others challenge the Sanno school, the current inter-high basketball champions.

Source: YouTube