'Slam Dunk' Animated Film in the Works, According to Creator

"Slam Dunk" author Takehiko Inoue announced through Twitter that his shonen manga will be depicted into an animated film. A Twitter account and official website have already been launched, and more information about the movie will be posted soon.

'Slam Dunk' Animated Film Announced

Inoue made the declaration on his official Twitter account @inouetake, posting a GIF photo of the anime title "SLAM DUNK."

"It will be a movie," according to Inoue in Japanese as translated by Google Translate with the hashtag #slamdunkmovie, reported The World News.

"Slam Dunk" is one of the most popular manga and anime ever. It has managed to garner millions of fans of the Japanese genre and basketball lovers for decades in various parts of the globe. The announcement of the creation of an animated film excited many fans, reported Archyde.

This is the first time in 25 years that the sports anime will be gracing screens again. Not much information has been disclosed regarding the film and who will be working on it.

The teaser website is still a work in progress but a link to Toei Animation, the production behind the anime movie adaptation, is accessible.

The news arrives following Slam Dunk's 30th-anniversary celebration in 2020 since its manga serialization in 1990, reported Tempo.

The original manga ran between 1990 and 1996, spanning 31 volumes. It received a hit TV anime adaptation in 1993 along with four sequel anime movies.

"Slam Dunk" is a basketball manga about a high school basketball team. The narrative revolves around Sakuragi Hanamichi, a beginner in the sport. He butts heads with his teammates and hones his skills, competing against powerhouse schools.

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Toei Animation has confirmed the movie would be animated after some anxiety from fans that the manga would be another anime depicted for live-action.

Considering the lack of information, it should be expected that we have no confirmation yet on whether or not the movie would be direct-to-Blu-Ray or get a theatrical release.

The manga series was originally published in the Weekly Shonen Jump or Shueisha. It has gone on to sell more than 120 million volumes.

The manga was adapted to an anime that ran between October 1993 and March 1996.

Volumes of the basketball manga were republished in 2018.

The announcement of the film adaptation quickly went viral on social media platforms and was very well received by anime and manga enthusiasts.

The "Slam Dunk" anime premiered in 1993 and ran for 101 episodes.

In the 90s, it had a version made in OVAs (productions for video consumption) but never a movie promised by the announcement of the manga creator.

In 2020, Inoue published a magazine titled "PLUS/SLAM DUNK ILLUSTRATIONS 2," that displayed more than 130 illustrations that were previously drawn and used for other publications. Eleven new ones were especially drawn for the compilation, and aimed at reigniting interest that fans had for the initial manga.

"Slam Dunk" remains to be known for being among the bestselling manga series of all time. It is also one of the three pioneering sports-related stories in the 90s.