Regal and GKIDS Announce Theatrical Release of HypnosisMic -Division Rap Battle- Interactive Movie
The Interactive Anime Feature, Powered by CtrlMovie, Comes to Select Regal Theatres on February 27
NEW YORK, NY (January 27, 2026) – GKIDS, the Academy Award-winning curator, producer, and distributor, today announced its partnership with Regal to exclusively distribute HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Interactive Movie, an immersive cinematic experience where the outcome lies in the hands of audience members.
HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- is a multimedia project developed by King Records, under its EVIL LINE RECORDS label, that began with a series of introductory CD releases in 2017. The first Battle Season was held in 2018, where fans voted for the winner of rap battles between the groups. It has since grown to span manga, live stage productions, mobile gaming, and anime. HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Interactive Movie is the franchise's first feature film and debuted in Japan in February 2025, becoming the country's first-ever interactive movie. Powered by CtrlMovie's in-theatre polling technology, moviegoers determine how each battle unfolds. Each film screening is uniquely shaped by its audience, resulting in a roughly 106-minute experience from a total of 328 minutes of ultimate rap battle content. Despite its limited screen count, the film broke Japanese box office records, selling over one million tickets and earning over $16.3 million (JP¥2.6 billion).
Tickets are now on sale for HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Interactive Movie and will play exclusively in Regal theaters across 15 major markets nationwide. For the most up-to-date list of theatres and showtimes, please visit REGmovies.com.
Director: Takanori Tsujimoto
Runtime: 106 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Synopsis:
HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Interactive Movie is an immersive cinematic experience where the outcome lies in your hands. Vote with or against your fellow movie-goers to determine how each battle unfolds in Japan's first interactive anime film, where each film screening is uniquely shaped by its audience.
Disputes are now settled through rap battles instead of violence using a special microphone known as the Hypnosis Mic. Lyrics delivered through the mic directly affect the human spirit, thereby eliminating the need for armed conflict. Six groups (Buster Bros!!!, MAD TRIGGER CREW, Fling Posse, Matenro, DOTSUITARE-HOMPO, and Bad Ass Temple) from regions throughout Japan now compete to prove their strength in the Final Division Rap Battle, hosted by KOTONOHATOH. In a world where words have replaced weapons, the ultimate rap battle that will decide the future of the nation is about to begin.
About Regal
Regal operates one of the largest and most geographically diverse theatre circuits in the United States, consisting of 5,441 screens in 399 theatres in 41 states along with the District of Columbia and Guam as of December 31, 2025. Regal is focused on delivering the best moviegoing experience by providing our guests with the largest selection of premium large formats (including 4DX, IMAX, RPX, and ScreenX), the only unlimited subscription program, and enhanced food and beverage offerings to make every visit to the theatre a truly memorable experience. Additional information is available online at REGmovies.com.
About GKIDS
GKIDS is the Academy Award–winning producer and distributor of artist-driven, globally celebrated animation. Following an extraordinary 13 nominations for Best Animated Feature, the studio earned its first Oscar in 2024 for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's acclaimed film The Boy and the Heron. Previous nominations include The Secret of Kells (2010); A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita (2012); Ernest & Celestine (2014); The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Song of the Sea (2015); Boy and the World and When Marnie Was There (2016); My Life as a Zucchini (2017); The Breadwinner (2018); Mirai (2019); Wolfwalkers (2021); and The Boy and the Heron (2024).
A leader in the “animation is film” movement, GKIDS is instrumental in shaping the landscape for feature animation in the U.S. and globally as the North American home of Japan's legendary Studio Ghibli, as well as the works of many of the world's top animation filmmakers including: Makoto Shinkai (your name., Weathering With You), Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress), Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers), Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai, Wolf Children), and many others. Recent and upcoming GKIDS releases include Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, Mamoru Oshii's Angel's Egg, and All You Need Is Kill from Warner Brothers Japan and Studio 4°C, as well as several groundbreaking hit series such as DAN DA DAN, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Arcane: League of Legends.
Last year, GKIDS expanded into live-action distribution with the theatrical re-release of the 2016 critically-lauded global hit Shin Godzilla from director Hideaki Anno and co-director Shinji Higuchi, as well as Japan's record-breaking box-office phenomenon Kokuho, which is the country's highest-grossing live action film ever and its official Oscar submission for Best International Feature. GKIDS also produces the popular, nationwide annual Ghibli Fest and is the founder and producer of ANIMATION IS FILM, the LA-based festival that is the premier U.S. showcase for feature animation. www.GKIDS.com @GKIDSFilms
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