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The First Slam Dunk, which was released in Japanese theaters on December 3, 2022, has broken several box office records so far. In 67 days of its release, the film sold around 6.87 million tickets, earning over 10 billion yen (about US$75 million).
It is only the second Toei production film to achieve this feat, with One Piece Film Red being the first.
Directed by Takehiko Inoue, The First Slam Dunk is currently the #13 highest grossing anime film of all time in Japan, and is tied with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest as the #42 highest grossing film of all time on the Japanese charts. It will be interesting to see the lifetime box office collection of the movie once it finishes its historic run.
The First Slam Dunk has raised the bar for sports anime with its historic box office run of 10 billion yen in 67 days
The movie was released in Japan on December 3, 2022, in regular and 40 IMAX theaters, which expanded to Dolby Cinema screens on December 10, 2022. The movie topped the box office charts with its release and was at the #1 spot for six weeks.
The film was also released overseas in South Korea on January 4, 2023, and has sold over 2.43 million tickets so far, earning a total of around US$ 19.4 million. In the fourth week of its release in South Korea, the film even managed to grab the no 1 spot from the popular movie, Avatar: The Way of Water.
The First Slam Dunk movie has continued its golden run for over two months at the Japanese box office, with die-hard fans of the series helping boost ticket sales.
Much of the movie's recent success is tied to the popularity of the of the series in 1990's Japan. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from 1990 to 1996, with Toei Animation coming out with the anime adaptation which ran from 1993 to 1996.
Written and Illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, Slam Dunk is an iconic manga series which was a driving factor behind making basketball popular in Japan. The impact of the series was so huge that even the Japanese Basketball Association has also highlighted its impact in making basketball a household sport in Japan.
It is easily one of the most popular and best-selling sports manga of all time, with a dedicated fanbase around it which can be compared to the likes of Haikyuu and Hajime No Ippo. The combination of these factors is the paramount reason behind The First Slam Dunk's success and its above 10 billion yen box office collection.
In summation
The movie has become the 13th highest grossing anime movie in Japan.
However, with the release of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba "To the Swordsmith Village" the box office run of this basketball classic has slowed down a bit, with a majority of the viewers opting for Ufotable's magnum opus instead.
Despite this, The First Slam Dunk movie will remain as a beloved masterpiece which introduces a new generation to the works of Takehiko Inoue and retells one of the best stories in the history of the sports anime genre.
