Smash hit Japanese animation feature “The First Slam Dunk” is set to be the first film theatrically released by newly-launched Australian distribution and New Zealand licensing firm Sugoi Co.
The company is headed by Tim Anderson, founder and former CEO of Madman Entertainment, the Australian indie with a strong leaning for Japanese content, and Sylvester “Sly” Ip.
The pair made an announcement on Twitter and conducted a soft launch at the recent Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
“The First Slam Dunk. Coming soon to cinemas across Australia. Follow us for full release and ticket info,” said Sugoi Co on Twitter.
Anderson told Anime News Network that Sugoi will focus on marketing and promotion for the Australian and New Zealand market. It will be a portfolio business and platform agnostic, releasing anime properties through the appropriate channel, rather than being wedded to theatrical or any specific platform for release.
Having merged with brand licensing company JW Brands, Sugoi will also extend to merchandizing and brand management.
Madman sold its anime division to Sony’s Aniplex in 2019. The business was later rolled into Sony’s Funimation animation streaming unit. Two years later, Sony acquired rival anime streamer Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia and merged Crunchyroll and Funimation, retaining the Crunchyroll brand. Redundancies in Australia, including those of several former Madman staff, were announced by Crunchyroll in February this year.
Produced by Toei Animation and Dandelion Entertainment, “The First Slam Dunk” was released in Japan in December 2022. It had theatrical releases throughout Asia in early 2023, with those in mainland China (box office of RMB 654 million or $90.8 million at current exchange rates) and South Korea ($37.9 million) being particularly lucrative.
