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Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Worldwide Rights to ‘Ha‑Chan, Shake Your Booty!’

The deal marks the first U.S. Dramatic Competition pickup at Sundance 2026.

Overview

  • The arthouse distributor plans a theatrical rollout, though no release date has been announced.
  • The film opened the festival to a standing ovation, with critics praising Josef Kubota Wladyka’s direction, Rinko Kikuchi’s lead turn, and the inventive dance sequences.
  • Wladyka wrote and directed the personal dramedy, drawing on his own life and celebrating the premiere with his mother in attendance.
  • CAA handled worldwide sales leading to the Sony Pictures Classics agreement.
  • Kikuchi portrays a widow who embraces ballroom dancing and trained for six months for the role.