My most anticipated anime movie of the year gets a release date – and it's surprisingly soon
The Haikyu movie is coming out in May
You think of sports anime and, chances are, you think of Haikyu, the legendary volleyball anime that follows diminutive spiker Hinata’s ‘rise to the top.’
After four seasons, Hinata’s journey is about to come to an end with a two-part film – starting with HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle.
The movie was released in Japan in February and now, thanks to Crunchyroll’s presentation at CinemaCon, we now have a western release date to look forward to.
HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle is releasing on May 31 in the US, UK, and Ireland with other countries – such as Australia, Italy, and Brazil – getting it a day earlier on May 30.
Those who have followed Haikyu from its tentative steps on the court will know what to expect next: The Dumpster Battle follows Karasuno’s volleyball team as they get set to face their eternal rivals Nekoma High in the next round of the Nationals.
If it’s anything like Hinata and Karasuno’s previous duels with Nekoma and the wallflower-like setter Kenma, we could be in for an all-timer – and it feels especially exciting given that a theatrical release away from Japan was by no means a guarantee.
Crunchyroll has also acquired the theatrical rights to the Blue Lock movie (June 28) and Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom (release date TBA), meaning that the schedules are suddenly peppered with some big-time anime adventures.
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For more, be sure to check out the rest of the new anime coming out in 2024. Then dive into our guides to Demon Slayer season 4 and Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 for the latest on the upcoming seasons to some of the best anime around.
I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.