The First Slam Dunk Comes to the US and Canada This July

Among the most enduringly popular anime and manga genres in Japan is sports. And one of the most popular sports anime and manga of all time is Slam Dunk. Originally serialized between 1990 and 1996, it was adapted into an anime that ran between 1993 and 1996. The manga is one of the most popular of all time with other 170 million copies sold around the world.  Last year the series got a brand new outing in the form of The First Slam Dunk, the first new feature-length film in the franchise in over 33 years.

GKIDS Films and Toei Animation have announced they will release the film in the United States and Canada from July 28. The film will screen in both original language and English dubbed editions. GKIDS and Toei also revealed the English dub cast, which includes:

Shohoku Team:

• Ryota Miyagi - Paul Castro Jr.
• Hisashi Mitsui - Jonah Scott
• Kaede Rukawa - Aleks Le
• Hanamichi Sakuragi - Ben Balmaceda
• Takenori Akagi - Aaron Goodso

The First Slam Dunk will receive its North American premiere at Anime Expo in Los Angeles this weekend. It will receive its East Coast premiere as the opening night of Japan Cuts: Festival Of Japanese Film in New York. Its Canadian Premiere will take place at the Fantasia Festival.

The film marks the directorial debut of original manga artist and creator Takehiko Inoue. It was released in Japan in December of 2022, and went on to break records in its international release. The film was awarded Animation Of The Year at the 2023 Japan Academy Prizes.

SYNOPSIS

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.

For a complete list of screenings visit the film's official website