The critically acclaimed box-office basketball movie The First Slam Dunk will make its North American Blu-ray debut later this year.
GKIDS and Shout! Studios announced on Monday that they would be releasing the anime movie on Blu-ray on June 25, 2024, when the film will arrive physically for fans. The film was originally released in Japan in December 2022 and saw massive box office success, goinhg on to become the fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time in the country.
What is The First Slam Dunk?
“The film follows Shohoku High School’s ‘speedster’ point guard, Ryota Miyagi, who always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure,” reads the synopsis. “In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku 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 First Slam Dunk is based on the popular manga Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue, who made his directorial debut with the film. It was first adapted into an anime series by Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon studio Toei Animation from 1993-1996, consisting of 101 episodes. The studio also produced four anime films while the series was still airing. The First Slam Dunk officially marks the franchise’s first movie in nearly three decades.
Since its theatrical debut in Asia, it has earned a worldwide gross of over $232 million. As of this writing, it’s the seventh highest-grossing anime film to date. It also recently won the Best Animation of the Year award at the 2023 Japan Academy Prize.