GKids has acquired North American rights to Toei Animation’s Japanese box office smash and manga adaptation The First Slam Dunk.
Takehiko Inoue’s film opened in Japan on December 3 last year and has earned more than $98m. It has grossed more than $212m worldwide, and just opened in mainland China on $55.2m to rank as the biggest opening ever for an imported animated film in the country.
The First Slam Dunk follows the exploits of a high school basketball team and is based on the Slam Dunk manga series that ran from 1990-96 and spawned an anime series from 1993-96.
The film won the Japan Academy Prize for best animation of the year and is produced by Toshiyuki Matsui.
GKids plans a theatrical release in the US and Canada in the original Japanese as well as in a new English dubbed version later this summer.
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