* TheDanza: In the film, Kitano is played by Creator/TakeshiKitano.
* DawsonCasting: Most of the cast was around fifteen (Aki Maeda as Noriko) or in their late teens (18-year-old Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shuya), but there are still two glaring examples: Taro Yamamoto (Shogo) and Masanobu Ando (Kiriyama) were 26 and 25 respectively when the film was released. The sequel also has a couple of examples, but not many. Makoto Sakamoso, who played Osamu, was 25 when he played the part. Ironically, his character is one of the youngest-looking.
* DeletedScene: The director's cut restores several. Of note is a basketball game the film intermittently snaps back to, omitted entirely in the theatrical release, which juxtaposes the carnage with the [[InnocenceLost height of Class B's innocence]] and BookEnds the character of [[DarkActionGirl Mitsuko]] in a [[NotSoAboveItAll bittersweet way]]. Others include a ghostly speech from Kuninobu during Shuya's wounded recollection of his father, Mitsuko's StartOfDarkness in a murderous defiance of RapeAsBackstory, and an extension of Noriko's dream of Kitano. Opinions vary on whether the film is stronger, weaker, or goofier for their restoration.
* DevelopmentHell: An American remake of ''Battle Royale'' has been in this on and off since 2006, likely because nobody in a post-UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} Hollywood could seriously contemplate making a film about high school students killing each other. The 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech especially hurt the project. While the popularity of the [[Film/TheHungerGames film adaptation]] of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' has given people some hope that it will one day be made, the producers have ironically said the opposite: that they won't make an American ''Battle Royale'', at least for another decade, specifically ''[[http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/03/23/the-hunger-games-vs-battle-royale/ because]]'' there's already ''The Hunger Games''. A [[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-battle-royale-could-be-reborn-as-a-tv-show-20120726,0,5414971.story?track=rss TV series]] idea also didn't go anywhere.
* DiedDuringProduction: Kinji Fukasaku, who directed the first movie, only managed to shoot one scene of the sequel before passing away due to prostate cancer. His son Kenta, who wrote both films, finished it and dedicated to his memory.
* NoExportForYou: The two ''Battle Royale'' films did not receive an official release in the United States for years as [[Creator/ToeiCompany Toei]] had insisted on a full theatrical run (with promotion) for '''at least''' the first film instead of a mere home video release. No American distributor would accept the deal until Anchor Bay Entertainment bought the license and made plans to release a 3D version of the first film in American theaters in 2011. While those plans didn't pan out, Anchor Bay managed to ultimately subvert the trope by releasing both ''Battle Royale'' films on DVD and Blu-ray in the spring of 2012 (chiefly in an effort to capitalize on the publicity surrounding the film version of ''Film/TheHungerGames'').
* OneBookAuthor: ''Battle Royale'' is the only novel written by Koushun Takami, who is primarily a journalist.
* RealLifeRelative: Noriko Nakagawa and Shiori Kitano are respectively portrayed by sisters Aki and Ai Maeda in the films.
* StreisandEffect: Due to the novel's content, members of the Diet[[note]]Name of Japanese parliament.[[/note]] actually attempted to have the novel - and later, the film - banned, to no avail. In fact, the government's efforts ended up unintentionally raising public attention towards both the novel and the film turning them into the classics they're known for today.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Music/{{Kyo}}, the lead singer of Japanese rock band Music/DirEnGrey, was initially offered the role of Yoshitoki Kuninobu, but had to decline when the band's manager forced him to turn down the role due to him being a DeadStarWalking.
** Creator/QuentinTarantino was offered a role in the second movie but couldn't do it because of scheduling. According to him, they wanted him to play the ''President of the United States''.
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