Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle, the first in a two-part film finale for the Haikyu!! anime TV series, is set to arrive in North American theaters this month on May 31st. With just a few more weeks until it releases, Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced that tickets to the sports volleyball anime film are now on sale for North American audiences.
Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle will be available in both Japanese with English subtitles and dubbed in English. Local theaters and showtimes for the film can be found here. Tickets are also available for those in Australia and New Zealand.
The film is also scheduled to hit theaters across the globe, including in Germany, Belgium France, Switzerland, and more. Check out the global theatrical release dates below:
- May 30: Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland (Italian-speaking), Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru
- May 31: Canada, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
- June 7: Turkey
- June 12: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland (French-speaking)
- June 25: Austria, Germany
- June 27: Switzerland (German-speaking)
Based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate, Haikyu!! is a "slice-of-life sports anime" that follows Shoyo Hinata and his quest to become a great volleyball player. The series synopsis reads:
Inspired by a small-statured player known as the “Little Giant,” Hinata creates a team in his last year of middle school. His team is unfortunately matched up against "King of the Court'' Tobio Kageyama’s team in their first tournament, inevitably losing. After the crushing defeat, Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama. Entering high school, he joins the volleyball team only to find that Tobio has also joined, making his once rival his new teammate.
Production I.G. produced the anime television series which first aired in 2014 and ran for four seasons, ending in 2020. In AUgust 2022, two Haikyu!! Final anime films were announced, serving as a finale of the series. Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle is the first of these two movies. Production I.G. also produced this movie which is directed by Susumu Mitsunaka.
The film synopsis isn't too different from the franchise description, reading:
Shoyo Hinata joins Karasuno High’s volleyball club to be like his idol, a former Karasuno player known as the “Little Giant.” But, Hinata soon finds that he must team up with his middle school nemesis, Tobio Kageyama. Their clashing styles turn into a surprising weapon, but can they beat their rival Nekoma High in the highly anticipated “Dumpster Battle,” the long-awaited ultimate showdown between two opposing underdog teams?
Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle actually opened in theaters in Japan back on February 16th and since gone on to earn over 10 billion yen (~$65 million USD).
For those who have yet to watch the beloved volleyball anime, you can catch all four seasons of Haikyu!! streaming on Crunchyroll.