Actor Keanu Reeves is entering the world of samurai as he is set to voice the lead in the upcoming stop-motion feature Hidari, helmed by Masashi Kawamura. He has expanded his proof-of-concept short film into a feature. The viral short film has garnered five million views since it was uploaded in 2023.
The action film is based on the life accounts of legendary Edo-era craftsman Jingoro Hidari, whom Reeves is set to voice. The revenge-driven saga has Jingoro lose everything, including his father figure, fiancee, and even his right arm, at the hands of the traitors while burying the secrets of Edo Castle's reconstruction. With a renewed faith and his carpentry skills, Jingoro creates a series of lethal prosthetic arms to carve his path to justice. Accompanied by his loyal companion, the "Sleeping Cat," Jingoro's journey is marked by both revenge and self-discovery.
Saying he is "thrilled" by the vision behind Hidari, Reeves asserted that "from the proof of concept to the developed script, the team has created something truly extraordinary." He went to praise Hidari for having all the makings of an "exceptional film". Noriko Matsumoto is producing Hidari.