In the future, a group of high schoolers are chosen to fight till the death. Does that sound like The Hunger Games? Well it’s originally the plot of Battle Royale, a notorious Japanese film from 2000. It’s a brutal vision as the once friendly classmates must turn on each other in order to survive the game. In a great casting twist Takeshi Kitano oversees the game. You might know him as the host of the old Spike gameshow Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. This time the kids are not merely getting their bells rung. Their heads are going to explode if there’s more than one winner. The rumor was Battle Royale was too violent to be shown in American theaters. The other rumor was the American rights cost was way too high for distributors. After a decade of fans wondering when it’ll get an official American release, the answer is March 20. They’ll also be offering Battle Royale II: Requiem Here’s the press release from Anchor Bay Entertainment:
“If you love The Hunger Games, Battle Royale sets the stage. One of the best – and most violent – genre films ever made. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.” – Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly
ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMS IN HISTORY FINALLY ARRIVES!
BATTLE ROYALE
Available for the first time in North America on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital download on March 20th from Anchor Bay Entertainment
Beverly Hills, CA – Battle Royale. A title that has shocked, thrilled and unnerved audiences. A film whose fiendishly simple premise has inspired many imitations, including the upcoming The Hunger Games motion picture. Based on the 1999 global best-seller by Koushun Takami, the futuristic tale first came to the screen in 2000, directed by the legendary Kinju Fukasaku. Authors, filmmakers and film fans the world over consider the film and its 2003 sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem sacred cinematic classics. And now, fans can own them on high-definition Blu-ray™ and DVD!
On March 20th, Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly brings the Battle Royale: The Complete Collection to Blu-ray™ and DVD for the first time in North America. Featuring state-of-the-art HD transfers, hi-res audio and a wealth of bonus features that delve deep into this truly international phenomenon – the three disc Blu-ray™ plus bonus DVD set has an SRP of $49.99 (pre-order now for $36.99) and an SRP $44.98 (currently $33.99 at Amazon) for the four disc DVD. Battle Royale will also be released separately on Blu-ray™ for an SRP of $29.99 and DVD for an SRP of $24.98.
42 students, Three days, One survivor – No Escape. Welcome to the world of Battle Royale!
Battle Royale
In the near future, the economy has collapsed, unemployment has soared and juvenile crime has exploded. Fearful of their nation’s youth, the Japanese government passes The BR Law: Each year, a 9th grade class is sent to a remote island where they will be locked into exploding neck collars, given a random weapon, and forced to hunt and kill each other until there is only one survivor left. Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill) and screen legend Takeshi Kitano (Boiling Point, Brother) star in the movie that has been argued, acclaimed and banned around the world. More than a decade later, it remains one of the most savage, shocking and emotionally powerful films of all time. Now experience the complete Director’s Cut of Kinji Fukasaku’s uncompromising masterpiece – nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards® – available uncensored and unrated for the first time ever in America.
Battle Royale: The Complete Collection
In 2000, director Kinji Fukasaku unleashed Battle Royale, his violently poetic epic about an innocent group of Junior High students forced by the government to hunt and kill their classmates for sport. It was nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards®, launched a global phenomenon, and banned from screens by frightened civic groups and distributors across America. Three years later, the equally disturbing sequel – featuring a new class, new rules, and a brutal terrorist plot by the first film’s young survivors – triggered its own tragic firestorm around the world. Now for the first time ever, you can see it all: Experience the entire Battle Royale saga on 4 discs that forever blasts open one of the most potent, shocking and savagely influential sagas in motion picture history.
Battle Royale: The Complete Collection‘s four disc set in collectible high-end packaging will include:
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● Battle Royale Director’s Cut with both Japanese and English language tracks and English subtitles
● Battle Royale Theatrical Cut with both Japanese and English language tracks and English subtitles
● Battle Royale II with Japanese language and English subtitles
● Battle Royale Bonus Content with Japanese language and English subtitles
SPECIAL FEATURES:
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● The Making Of BATTLE ROYALE
● BATTLE ROYALE Press Conference
● Instructional Video: Birthday Version
● Audition & Rehearsal Footage
● Special Effects Comparison Featurette
● Tokyo International Film Festival 2000
● Battle Royale Documentary
● Basketball Scene Rehearsals
● Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
● Filming On-Set
● Original Theatrical Trailer
● Special Edition TV Spot
● TV Spot: Tarantino Version
The Battle Royale release will include:
- ● Director’s Cut with Japanese and English language and English subtitles
With impeccable direction by three-time ‘Director of the year’ Kinji Fukasaku, and featuring high-quality acting performances from every angle, Battle Royale: The Complete Collection is as cunning as it is ruthless, offering a unique and brutal depiction of what people are capable of when imminent death is everywhere you look.
Blu-Ray Boxset, DVD Boxset
and Solo Movie available at Amazon.com.
