Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! is a 2026 comedy-drama from Sony Pictures Classics starring Rinko Kikuchi as Haru, a ballroom dancer in Tokyo whose life changes after a devastating personal loss.
Directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka and co-written with
Nicholas Huynh, the film blends grief, romance, dance and offbeat humor as Haru
slowly finds her way back to the dance floor.
The movie premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where Wladyka won Best Directing in the U.S. Dramatic competition. Sony Pictures Classics later acquired worldwide rights and set a U.S. theatrical opening for September 25, 2026.
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| HA-CHAN, SHAKE YOUR BOOTY! — STORY • CAST • RELEASE DATE |
Watch the Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! Trailer
The official trailer introduces Haru and Luis as competitive
ballroom dancers in Tokyo, using dance as both a source of joy and a way to
connect with the people around them.
After tragedy strikes, Haru pulls away from the life she once loved. The trailer then follows her gradual return to the studio, where a new instructor brings unexpected emotional complications.
What Is Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! About?
The story centers on Haru and Luis, who love competing in
Tokyo’s ballroom dance scene.
When tragedy suddenly changes their lives, Haru retreats
into isolation and distances herself from dance.
Her friends eventually persuade her to return to the studio.
There, she becomes drawn to a new instructor and begins confronting the
question of whether moving forward means leaving part of her old life behind.
The film uses ballroom dancing as more than a backdrop. It
becomes a way to explore grief, attraction, identity and the awkward process of
rebuilding a life after loss.
Rinko Kikuchi Leads the Film as Haru
Rinko Kikuchi plays Haru, the emotional center of the story.
The role gives Kikuchi room to move between comedy and grief
as Haru struggles to reconnect with friends, family and the dance world she
once shared with Luis.
The film’s tone appears to rely heavily on Kikuchi’s ability
to make Haru feel vulnerable without turning the story into a conventional
tragedy.
Why Ballroom Dance Matters to the Story
Ballroom dancing gives the movie a visual and emotional
language that can express things Haru is not always ready to say directly.
Competition, rhythm and physical closeness all become part
of the drama, especially once Haru develops feelings for the new instructor.
That makes the dance floor both a place of memory and a
place where Haru can begin imagining a future again.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! Cast and Characters
The film is led by Rinko Kikuchi, with Alberto Guerra and
Alejandro Edda among the principal cast. YOU and Yoh Yoshida also appear in
major supporting roles.
Rather than relying on a single star, the story is built
around a broader ensemble of dancers, friends and family members who shape
Haru’s return to the world she left behind.
Who Directed Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!?
Josef Kubota Wladyka directs the film and co-wrote the
screenplay with Nicholas Huynh.
The project is personally inspired by the spirit of
Wladyka’s mother, known as Ha-Chan, which helps explain the movie’s mixture of
affection, eccentricity and emotional honesty.
Wladyka won Best Directing in the U.S. Dramatic competition
at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
How Long Is Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!?
Current release listings give the movie a runtime of
approximately 2 hours and 2 minutes, or 122 minutes.
That length suggests the film has room to develop both
Haru’s emotional journey and the colorful supporting world around the ballroom
scene.
What Genre Is the Movie?
The film is primarily described as a comedy-drama, with
romance and some fantastical or surreal touches also appearing in current
listings and reviews.
Its combination of dance, grief and offbeat humor makes it
different from a standard romantic comedy or competition movie.
Early Festival Response and Awards
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! premiered in the U.S. Dramatic
Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and received a strong early
response.
Josef Kubota Wladyka won Best Directing, and the film was
later selected for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
Those festival appearances have helped position the movie as
one of the more distinctive independent releases of fall 2026.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! Release Date
Sony Pictures Classics is opening Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
in U.S. theaters on September 25, 2026.
Current listings describe the release as limited, so
availability may expand gradually depending on the market.
Final Thoughts
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! looks like one of the more
unusual fall 2026 releases.
Instead of building its story around action, spectacle or a
familiar franchise, the film uses ballroom dance to explore grief and the
difficult process of moving forward.
Rinko Kikuchi’s central performance, the film’s personal
inspiration and its Sundance directing win all give it reasons to stand out
among September releases.
Reference Sources
Sony Pictures Classics — official film page and September 25 release information
Sony Pictures Entertainment — worldwide acquisition announcement and Sundance background
Fandango — runtime, genre and release-date listing
Siskel Film Center — festival recognition and release information