Acclaimed Animated Sports Thriller Makes North American Debut
on Blu-ray June 25, 2024
“A one-of-a-kind sports drama… The First Slam Dunk understands what’s great about basketball” – Calum Marsh, New York Times
The critically acclaimed box-office phenomenon The First Slam Dunk will make its North American home entertainment debut on Blu-ray from GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Studios, on June 25, 2024. The First Slam Dunk opened domestically in Japan in December 2022, and went on to break box office records in a number of countries during its international release. Written and created by Takehiko Inoue, “Slam Dunk” is a beloved manga which was serialized from 1990-1996. The original manga is one of the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 185 million copies sold globally, and has been adapted to various media and video games, including the hit anime series that ran from 1993-1996. The First Slam Dunk marks the first new feature-length film from the globally cherished franchise in over 26 years, as well as original manga creator Takehiko Inoue’s directorial debut. The film went on to be awarded the 2023 Japan Academy Prize for Best Animation of the Year – marking the first nomination and win for Inoue. Winner of the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Animation in 2023 and the highest grossing domestic film in Japan in 2023, The First Slam Dunk is a high-octane sports thriller that captures the emotional and suspenseful journey of a player in one of the world’s most popular sports.
The initial run of the release includes a limited-edition sticker sheet featuring Shohoku team uniforms. The release also offers a number of bonus features including an interview with director Takehiko Inoue, Behind the Starting Line-up an English dub featurette, audio commentary with the English dub team, and trailers for the film.
The film will also be available as a Collector’s Edition later this year, with details to be announced as a future date.
About The First Slam Dunk
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 First Slam Dunk bonus features
- Interview with the Director Takehiko Inoue
- Behind the Starting Line-up: English dub featurette
- Color commentary with the English dub team
- Trailers & Teasers