(Yicai Global) April 24 -- Japanese animation film The First Slam Dunk bagged CNY377 million (USD54.6 million) at the Chinese mainland box office in the first four days of its release, according to movie ticketing tracker Beacon.

The First Slam Dunk, produced by anime studio Toei Animation, grossed CNY94.1 million (USD13.6 million) at its premiere on April 20, accounting for 86 percent of the Chinese mainland’s box office on that day, Beacon data showed.

Created by Inoue Takehiko, Slam Dunk is a teenage manga about high school basketball. It was serialized in manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump from 1990 to 1996, selling 140 million copies. TV Asahi adapted it to anime in the mid-90s, which first aired in China in 1995.

The First Slam Dunk will likely gross a total of between CNY780 million and CNY950 million in the Chinese mainland, Beacon predicted, citing industry influencers and organizations.

On April 20, the movie’s flagship store on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao debuted 10 limited merchandise series, which include figurines, jerseys, and caps. Some products sold out in less than a minute.

The First Slam Dunk’s flagship store said that it is working to release a second batch of merchandise by mid-May, which will include more than 100 types of T-shirts, posters, cellphone cases, and basketballs specially designed for Chinese mainland fans.

Editor: Futura Costaglione