Keanu Reeves Joins Samurai Stop-Motion Epic 'Hidari'

Keanu Reeves will star in the upcoming stop-motion samurai film "Hidari," confirming his involvement via video message at Annecy. He praised the project's cinematic vision and ambitious scope, stating his eagerness to be part of its creation.

Director Masashi Kawamura envisions the film as a blend of 'John Wick's' energy and feudal Japan, realized through uniquely crafted wooden sculptures. He calls the aesthetic 'Wood Punk,' inspired by 17th-century artist Hidari Jingoro, whose ability to 'breathe life into wood' mirrors stop-motion's magic.

The narrative centers on a young master carpenter entangled in a ruthless conspiracy, losing his mentor and fiancée. He survives, reinvents himself, and forges a prosthetic arm from carpentry tools to exact revenge against mechanical soldiers and a destructive robot.

Producer Noriko Matsumoto stated Reeves was a dream casting, as the character was conceptualized as a hybrid of Reeves and Toshiro Mifune. The team aims to shatter perceptions of stop-motion as merely nostalgic, emphasizing quality craftsmanship in contrast to AI-generated content.