Keanu Reeves Joins as Lead in Stop-Motion Samurai Film Hidari

Japanese stop-motion feature Hidari has secured prominent Hollywood star, Keanu Reeves, who will join the project as the titular character, Hidari. Produced by dwarf studios with director Masashi Kawamura, the feature film follows a near-mythic Edo-era master craftsman, Jingoro Hidari.

Producers announced the latest casting on May 17 at Cannes’ Annecy Animation Showcase, a significant development since the Hidari pilot dropped in March 2023. Kawamura's viral 2023 proof-of-concept short of the same name has racked up nearly 5M views on YouTube since its release.

Till now, Hidari’s pilot movie has received awards at more than 20 international film festivals, an exceptional milestone for a proof-of-concept film. That recognition established Hidari as one of the most anticipated animation projects in development, and Reeves' casting now signals a deliberate push towards global theatrical viability.

Reeves is widely known for legendary characters like John Wick (John Wick franchise) and Neo (Matrix franchise). Apart from franchised roles, he has also expanded his four-decade career with The Devil's Advocate and The Day the Earth Stood Still, along with voice acting experience in the Toy Story franchise.

Reeves said he was “thrilled by the vision” behind the project, calling the Hidari project something extraordinary. Kawamura, on the other hand, emphasized that Reeves is “not just lending his voice to Hidari, he's helping us shape and expand this world.”

What is dwarf studios’ Hidari Stop-Motion Samurai Film?

The film reimagines the legend of Edo-period sculptor Jingoro Hidari as a revenge-driven samurai who was well-versed in multiple crafts, including sculpting, architecture, and carpentry. Hidari’s premise blends steampunk aesthetics, periodic features, and high-action political narrative.

In the movie, a devastating betrayal costs Hidari his right arm, his fiancée, and his father, setting him on his path forward. The aftermath follows a blood-soaked revenge on his foes with partner ‘Sleeping Cat,’ which eventually leads to the Tokugawa Shogunate (Japan’s last feudal military government) and a weaponized Edo Castle, a danger to the city of Edo.

He transforms himself into a tool of vengeance with multiple prosthetic arms, reminiscent of the episode Good Hunting from LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS.

Hidari Film Production Details

Hidari’s planned 90-minute feature retains the proof-of-concept short's defining aesthetic, with hand-carved characters from wood. Takeshi Yashiro will be handling art design and wood carving, while co-designing the characters with Iku Ogawa, known for Pokémon Concierge.

As per the official listing, Hidari’s action-native narrative took inspiration from movies such as Kill Bill and Reeves’ own  John Wick franchise. That framing is a deliberate commercial and cultural strategy, pitching a distinctly Japanese craft form to global action audiences.

The film is a co-production between dwarf studios, Tokyo creative agency Whatever, and animation house Tecarat. Noriko Matsumoto, who has previously positioned dwarf studios as a global streaming collaborator through Netflix's Rilakkuma series, is producing the Hidari movie.

Director Kawamura's track record with a Cristal at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, an International Emmy Award nomination, positioned the upcoming Hidari stop-motion film as another Japanese prestige animation. Hidari comes as international demand for Japanese-origin animation continues to grow. The film does not have a possible release window as of yet.