An official release date for the upcoming Sand Land anime project has been revealed, based on the manga of the same name by Dragon Ball author Akira Toriyama. The project will be a film adaptation of the manga produced by Sunrise, Kamikaze Douga, and ANIMA and will officially release on August 18th, 2023.
What We Know About The Sand Land Animated Movie
The so-called Sand Land Project was officially teased back in December 2022 via a special video by Bandai Namco Entertainment and eventually revealed to be a CGI anime adaptation.
Sand Land is an original one-volume manga published by Akira Toriyama on November 2, 2000, in Weekly Shonen Jump. It has never been adapted into an animated format until now and has gained a cult folioing for its characters and world despite only being one volume.
The story for Sand Land follows Beelzebub, the prince of the demons, as he journeys through a giant desert world to find a fabled lake oasis in a place where water is the most precious resource.
Viz Media has officially published the manga in English and describes it as follows:
In the far future, war has destroyed the entire Earth, leaving only a barren wasteland where the supply of water is controlled by the greedy king. In search of a long-lost lake, Sheriff Rao asked the king of the demons for help…and got the king’s son, Beelzebub, and his assistant, Thief. Together the unlikely trio sets off across the desert, facing dragons, bandits and the deadliest foe of all… the King’s army itself! It’s travel adventure and tank action in this new story from Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Z!
Now, Sand Land will be receiving a CGI anime adaption that will retell the story in a visual medium for the first time. The film appears to have a similar visual style to Dragon Ball Super: Superhero.
The anime adaption of Sand Land will release in theaters in Japan on August 18, 2023. It is unknown when it will release in the west at this time.