Magnolia Pictures’ comedy The Napa Boys is expanding its theatrical run, with screenings starting in Los Angeles at the Landmark and AMC Americana theaters. The film, directed by Nick Corirossi and co-written by Armen Weitzman, is billed as the fourth installment in a fictional franchise. Corirossi also stars in the film alongside Weitzman, who plays his reluctant co-captain, Miles Jr. The story follows the Napa Boys gang as they start on another wine-sloshed journey, this time with a bright young podcaster named Puck, who is the group’s biggest fan.

Cast and Creative Team Bring Humor to the Screen

The film features an ensemble of alt-comedians, including Sarah Ramos, Mike Mitchell, Chloe Cherry, Vanessa Chester, Paul Rust, Jamar Neighbors, Nelson Franklin, David Wain, Ray Wise, Riki Lindhome, Natasha Leggero, Ivy Wolk, and Beth Dover. Jerrod Carmichael serves as the executive producer. The film will include Q&A sessions with the cast and filmmaker throughout the weekend, with plans to add the Angelika in New York next week.

Alongside The Napa Boys, the SXSW 2025 film Idiotka is set to debut in select theaters, with Alamo Drafthouse hosting selected shows. The film, written and directed by Nastasya Popov, stars Anna Baryshnikov, Camila Mendes (who also produced the film), Julia Fox, Owen Thiele, Benito Skinner, Gabbriette, and Saweetie. Popov’s directorial debut follows Baryshnikov as Margarita, an ambitious fashion designer living in a chaotic West Hollywood apartment with her Russian-Jewish family. In a desperate move for money, Margarita enters a reality TV competition called Slay, Serve, Survive.

International Films Expand in U.S. Theaters

Michele Franco’s Dreams, starring Jessica Chastain and Isaac Hernandez, is set to open in 188 theaters nationwide. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2025 and follows a powerful socialite and a promising ballet dancer as they begin a dangerous affair. When the dancer secretly crosses the U.S.-Mexico border, the socialite takes desperate measures to protect their future together.

Werner Herzog’s documentary Ghost Elephants is also expanding in limited release in New York and Los Angeles. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, follows conservation biologist Dr. Steve Boyes as he searches for a mysterious herd of Ghost Elephants in the highlands of Angola. The documentary will be available in select theaters after a one-night nationwide simulcast across over 100 theaters on Thursday night.

Japan’s First Interactive Anime Debuts in U.S.

GKIDS is partnering with Regal Cinemas to release HypnOsmic – Division Rap Battle –, Japan’s first interactive anime film. The film will begin a limited release in the U.S. on February 27, with screenings at 15 locations across the country. The interactive format allows the audience to vote in real time using a web-connected phone app to determine the outcome of the rap battles.

Directed by Takanori Tsujimoto and written by Yuichiro Momose, the film features Subaru Kimura, Shitaro Asanuma, and Yusuke Shirai. The synopsis describes it as an immersive cinematic experience where the outcome lies in the hands of the audience. The film’s unique concept is based on a fictional world where disputes are settled through rap battles instead of violence, using a special microphone called the Hypnosis Mic. Lyrics delivered through the mic directly affect the human spirit, eliminating the need for armed conflict.

The film’s interactive format has already broken box office records in Japan when it debuted last spring. Six groups from different regions of Japan—Buster Bros!!!, Mad Trigger, Fling Posse, Matenro, Dotsuitare-Hompo, and Bad Ass Temple—compete in the Final Division Rap Battle, hosted by Kotonohatoh. In a world where words have replaced weapons, the film promises an ultimate rap battle that will decide the future of the nation.

According to the film’s producer, the interactive format allows each screening to be uniquely shaped by the audience’s choices. “Vote with or against your fellow movie-goers to determine how each battle unfolds,” said a representative from GKIDS. “This is the first time such a format has been used in an anime film, and we are excited to bring it to U.S. audiences.”

The limited release of HypnOsmic is expected to continue for several weeks, with additional screenings planned at select theaters across the country. Meanwhile, The Napa Boys is set to expand its run in New York with a screening at the Angelika next week, followed by additional theaters in the coming weeks.