GKIDS Will Bring ‘The First Slam Dunk’ To U.S. Theaters This Summer

GKIDS has picked up North American theatrical and physical home video distribution rights to Toei Animation’s smash anime hit The First Slam Dunk.

The First Slam Dunk is adapted from Takehiko Inoue’s popular 1990s sports manga Slam Dunk. It’s directed by the creator himself and produced by Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio.

GKIDS synopsis reads:

Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball.

In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

The film opened in Japan on December 3 of last year and has grossed an estimated $232.9 million since, from just six territories. It did particularly well in South Korea, reaching number two at the box office during its opening weekend, and has been a massive hit in China, where it opened with the biggest weekend ever for an imported animated feature ($55.2 million) and has grossed $77.5 million in total.

No release date has been announced yet, but GKIDS says the film will hit theaters sometime this summer. The company will release the film in its original Japanese with English subtitles and dubbed.

“I am very thankful to our partners at Toei Animation for working together with us on what I consider one of the best sports films ever made,” said David Jesteadt, president of GKIDS. “The First Slam Dunk is thrilling but also deeply emotional, and it has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. We can’t wait to share the film with Slam Dunk fans, as well as those

Masayuki Endo, president of Toei Animation Inc., added: “The First Slam Dunk has been a smash hit in Asia since premiering in Japan last December and we’re excited to see the response from U.S. and Canadian audiences when it premieres this summer.”