cult Classic ‘Battle Royale‘ Returns too Select Theaters for 25th Anniversary
Los Angeles, CA – Kinji Fukusaku‘s groundbreaking dystopian thriller Battle Royale is back on the big screen for a limited three-day engagement, beginning today, October 12, with subsequent screenings on October 13 and October 15. Lionsgate and Iconic Events are presenting the film in Japanese with English subtitles at select theaters nationwide.
The 2000 film, based on Koushun Takami‘s 1999 novel, depicts a totalitarian government forcing a class of Japanese high school students to fight each other to the death in a brutal, three-day contest. Those who refuse face immediate execution. Battle Royale initially faced controversy and distribution challenges, being banned or excluded in some countries and unavailable for American distribution for over a decade due to legal concerns. It was eventually released direct-to-video in the U.S. in 2010.
Despite initial hurdles,Battle royale garnered critical acclaim and earned $30.6 million worldwide, launching the careers of several actors. A sequel was begun by Fukusaku before his death and completed by his son, Kenta Fukusaku, but received a negative reception.
The film’s influence is widely recognized in contemporary media, with echoes seen in works such as The Purge, Deadman Wonderland, Call of Duty: Warzone, and The World Ends With You.
This re-release includes a bonus interview with screenwriter Kenta Fukusaku discussing his late father’s career and the past context of the film. Moviegoers can find participating theaters and showtimes at https://www.iconicreleasing.com/events/battle-royale/.
