When ‘Battle Royale‘ debuted in 2000 in Japan, all you heard here in the States was how controversial and bloody the movie was. This made all of us who loved Japanese cinema (J-Horror) so eager to see the film. But it was never released in the U.S. at the time because some countries had banned it. Toei even “refused to sell the film to any United States distributor for over a decade due to concerns about potential controversy and lawsuits.”

I recall going to a horror convention in New Jersey and buying a bootleg. Boy, I was not disappointed—it became one of my favorite movies. Even Quentin Tarantino stated in 2009 that ‘Battle Royale’ was “a film he wishes he had made himself.” Tarantino actually ended up casting one of the actresses from ‘Battle Royale’, Chiaki Kuriyama, as Gogo in ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1‘. Eventually, in 2010, Anchor Bay Entertainment released the film on home video. I own both the DVD and Blu-ray versions.

Now, Iconic Events Releasing and Lionsgate has announced a special theatrical event for the 25th anniversary. They will be presenting ‘Battle Royale‘ in its theatrical cut in Japanese with English subtitles, restored in glorious 4K. The screening will also include a video interview titled ‘Kinji Fukasaku: A Master at Work‘ (in Japanese with English subtitles), featuring the screenwriter, Kenta Fukasaku. The interview offers “an intimate look at the forces that shaped the directorial career of his father, Kinji Fukasaku, and how they inspired his landmark final movie.”

This is all incredibly exciting for me, as it will mark my first time seeing ‘Battle Royale‘ on the big screen.

According to Iconic Events Releasing, ‘Battle Royale‘ will be screening across the United States at select theaters on October 12–13 and 15, 2025. Tickets are on sale now, so get them before they’re gone! Below you’ll find the synopsis, the link to get tickets, the new trailer, and the new poster.