Crunchyroll announced the acquisition and some theatrical release dates for three new anime films at their first ever CinemaCon presentation. The films include HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle, BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE – EPISODE NAGI and OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom. They will be distributed theatrically in the United States by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Crunchyroll Sports Anime Films
HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle was originally released back in February in Japan, and has done very well at the Japanese box office. It is the first of two films that will be acting as the finale for the beloved volleyball anime series. Based on the manga series of the same name, the anime began in 2014 and wrapped up right at the end of 2020. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 6th of this year. Both the manga and the anime were incredibly popular. The show is often cited as one of the best sports anime of all time.
The movie will cover the dumpster battle arc from the manga. Shoyo Hinata and the rest of the Karasuno volleyball club will take on their rivals at Nekoma High in a long awaited showdown. HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle will be released in US theaters on May 31st. It will be available both in Japanese with English subtitles and as an English dub.
Speaking of hit sports anime, the next film on Crunchyroll’s list is BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE – EPISODE NAGI, the first feature film to come out of the immensely popular soccer anime series, BLUE LOCK. Crunchyroll announced that it has secured the North American and select international theatrical rights to this new film focusing on fan-favorite character Nagi Seishiro’s experience joining the BLUELOCK soccer program. This is an elite and cutthroat training regimen designed to create the best ace striker to represent Japan in the next World Cup.
Also, a short teaser trailer was released, bringing fans back into the animated world of BLUE LOCK for the first time since the end of season one in early 2023. BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE – EPISODE NAGI will premiere in US theaters on June 28, 2024, and will also be available in both an English dub and in its original Japanese with English subtitles.
OVERLORD Film
The final film announced at Crunchyroll’s presentation is the first in the OVERLORD franchise, titled OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom. The isekai anime series, which follows an average salaryman who has been transported into the world of a MMORPG video game, was originally based on a web novel and consists of four seasons, the last of which ended in 2022. The movie picks up right after the end of the fourth season. It reunites fans with series protagonist, Momonga, as he joins forces with old enemies to defeat the invading Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth and his army of demi-humans. There are no theatrical release dates for the film yet.
For anyone who needs to catch up on these anime series before heading to the theaters, the first four seasons of HAIKYU!!, the first season of BLUE LOCK, and all four seasons of OVERLORD are available for streaming on Crunchyroll now!
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