The box office revenue for the animated film "THE FIRST SLAM DUNK" has been announced. As of August 13, the movie has resumed screenings in over 300 theaters nationwide, bringing its cumulative total to 11.19 million viewers and over 16.2 billion yen ($110.96 million) in revenue. This achievement has placed it 12th in the all-time box office rankings, surpassing "Avatar" (released in 2009) which had a revenue of 15.9 billion yen, according to data from the Entertainment News Agency.

The film is based on the basketball manga "SLAM DUNK", which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from issue 42 in 1990 to issue 27 in 1996. It follows the story of Hanamichi Sakuragi, a basketball novice who joins the Shohoku High School basketball team and quickly develops his talents through clashes with his teammate Kaede Rukawa and intense matches against strong opponents. The gripping depiction of basketball games and the characters' dedication to the sport resonated with readers, leading to overwhelming support, with the series surpassing 120 million copies in circulation in Japan. From 1993 to 1996, a 101-episode TV anime adaptation aired.

The new film, released in December 2022, was directed and written by the original creator, Takehiko Inoue, with animation produced by Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio. The voice cast for the five main Shohoku members was completely refreshed from the TV anime version, featuring Shugo Nakamura as Ryota Miyagi, Jun Kasama as Hisashi Mitsui, Shinichiro Kamio as Kaede Rukawa, Subaru Kimura as Hanamichi Sakuragi, and Kenta Miyake as Takenori Akagi.

Source : ORICON NEWS