[UPDATE (as of 8 July, GMT+8): The teaser trailer for First Slam Dunk has dropped! It shows off a first look at the characters from Shohoku High and a new CGI/3D art style, which may be viewed below.]
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The ball is back in the court, as classic basketball manga-and-anime series Slam Dunk shoots for its long-awaited comeback with a new project. The upcoming movie, now officially titled The First Slam Dunk, will be making its way to the silver screen on 3 December 2022, with a teaser trailer set to arrive on 7 July.
Two character illustrations have also been unveiled, showing Shohoku High’s #7 Point Guard Ryota Miyagi and #14 Shooting Guard Hisashi Mitsui in the strokes of fine, crisp line art. No other characters or story details have been revealed yet, but fans can expect more updates and a first look when the teaser trailer drops three days later on YouTube.
The movie marks a 27-year gap between the last Slam Dunk film, which was released back in 1995. The series first appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1990, and was later adapted for an anime series that aired from 1993 to 1996. A synopsis of the original series reads:
“Hanamichi Sakuragi is a delinquent with a long history of getting dumped by girls. After enrolling in Shohoku High School, Hanamichi becomes interested in a girl named Haruko who loves the game of basketball.”
The First Slam Dunk will arrive in theatres on 3 December, with series creator Takehiko Inoue returning to direct and write the script alongside Toei Animation. For old fans, that’d certainly be a welcome and nostalgic return to the world of high school basketball that has paved the road for many modern-day sports anime, such as Kuroko’s Basketball, Prince of Tennis, Ace of Diamond, and Haikyuu!!.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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