The lights dim at Regal Pinnacle. Before “Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle” opens with its first scene, the audience is prompted to pull out their phones.
Audience members download the CRTL movie app, scan the QR code on the screen and instantly prepare to vote. Late to the show? The audience can share their QR code with their phones, and, from there, the majority rules.
Each audience vote determines which animated rap group advances through the battle. With 48 possible story pathways and seven alternative endings, no two screenings will result in the same story.
Kevan Kerr, senior communications manager for Regal, compares it to “American Idol,” except that instead of eliminating a contestant, the audience votes on which division wins the battles.
The “Hypnosis Mic” franchise began in Japan as an animated series set in a world where weapons are outlawed and replaced with ‘hypnosis mics’ — devices that influence the human mind and turn battles into lyrical warfare to claim territory.
The film received extraordinary results. Released in February 2025, it became the first Japanese film to surpass ¥2.5 billion (approximately 16.5-16.9 million U.S. dollars) in box office revenue in a limited release of fewer than 85 screens, attracting over 1 million viewers.
Now the experiment has crossed to the U.S. distributor GKIDS, known for bringing Studio Ghibli and other highly acclaimed animated films to American audiences, and has partnered with Regal Cinema to test the interactive format in 15 locations, including Knoxville.
“This is a testing ground. Productions are considering horror films where the audience could decide who the killer is,” Kerr said.
If the pilot succeeds, interactive storytelling may move beyond its niche anime fandom and into mainstream media. This could be just in time, as theaters are finding new ways to attract audiences.
Moviegoing has sharply declined since 2019. AMC has recently reported nearly a 10% drop in attendance in the latest quarter.
Streaming platforms and video games have already popularized this element of interactive storytelling. Netflix’s “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” let viewers choose the narrative, while games like “Red Dead Redemption” and “Road 96” invite players into worlds they control. People have grown accustomed and comfortable in their own homes, already introduced to the interactive experience.
Yet, theaters still have an edge. Younger audiences are returning, with 41% of Gen Z reporting they attend the movies six times or more per year. For a generation already comfortable with multiple screens and interactive content, films like “Hypnosis Mic” offer a shared experience that is hard to replicate at home.
“The fact that it could be unique each time you see it makes the movie exciting,” Noelle Burton, a senior majoring in psychology, said. “Depending on the movie, I would watch it again to see what a different ending resulted in.”
Interactive cinema is not just about the phones. It is about audience engagement, debate and unexpected reactions. Unlike traditional screening where interactions with friends are limited, the interactive elements force all audience members to compete.
Even with “Hypnosis Mic,” many viewers did not get their first pick, but most still reported enjoying the experience. Each screening was unique, yet each audience had shared experiences.
The results are still developing, but one thing is certain: The audience is no longer watching films — they’re writing them.
