by Alex Billington
May 14, 2026
Source: YouTube
“So what brought you back to the studio?” Sony Pictures Classics has revealed a ravishing first look teaser trailer for the acclaimed indie sensation called Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, which first premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It earned numerous rave reviews, then was picked up by SPC for a release this year – highly recommend catching it. No final date is set yet – but they say it’s expected to hit theaters in the fall. Lovers Haru and Luis enjoy competing in Tokyo’s ballroom dance scene, but after tragedy strikes, Haru withdraws into isolation. When friends coax her back to the studio amidst her grief, she develops an infatuation with the new instructor – another very attractive Latino named Fedir. She must face what comes next as sparks fly. Rinko Kikuchi stars as the fabulous Ha-Chan, sporting a big curly fro, along with Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Edda, Yoh Yoshida, Damián Alcázar, and Japanese actress known as “You“. I’m a big fan of this film! I wrote a glowing review out of Sundance – it’s one of the most unique & vivid takes on overcoming grief I’ve seen in a while. Keep an eye out for it opening later this year.
Here’s the teaser trailer for Josef Kubota Wladyka’s film Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, from YouTube:
Haru (Rinko Kikuchi) and Luis (Alejandro Edda) are passionate competitors in the Tokyo ballroom dance scene. After a terrible tragedy causes Haru to withdraw into isolation, her best friends coax her back to the studio, where she develops an infatuation with a new instructor named Fedir (Alberto Guerra). As sparks fly, Haru must navigate her tremendous grief and her newfound desire. Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! is directed by Japanese-Polish-American filmmaker Josef Kubota Wladyka, director of the film Catch the Fair One previously, plus many shorts and episodes of the series “Tokyo Vice” and Netflix’s “One Piece” most recently. The screenplay is written by Nicholas Huynh and Josef Kubota Wladyka. Produced by Kimberly Parker Zox, Mao Nagakura, Josef Kubota Wladyka. This initially prmeiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (read our review). Sony Pictures Classics debuts Wladyka’s Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! film in select US theaters starting in the fall 2026 later this year. Who’s curious to watch this?
