Keanu Reeves Enters A Wooden-World Samurai Epic With HIDARI
Keanu Reeves is stepping back into stop-motion animation, this time leading the voice cast of HIDARI, a samurai-inspired feature from Japanese studio dwarf studios and director Masashi Kawamura.
The project was unveiled at the Annecy Animation Showcase during the Cannes Film Festival and is already gaining attention for its leap from viral short to full-scale international production.
The film began as a 2023 proof-of-concept short that quickly picked up nearly five million YouTube views and screened at more than 20 international festivals. That early momentum helped push it into feature territory, expanding into a 90-minute film while retaining its handcrafted stop-motion identity, built around intricately carved wooden puppets and highly detailed sets.
At the centre of the story is Jingoro Hidari, a master craftsman inspired by an Edo-period legend. After a betrayal connected to the reconstruction of Edo Castle, he loses his mentor, his fiancée and his right arm.
Rather than retreating, he uses his carpentry skills to build mechanical prosthetic arms and sets off on a path of revenge, accompanied by a wooden companion known as the Sleeping Cat. The story blends samurai-era drama with stylised fantasy, anchored in themes of grief, survival and invention.
HIDARI draws on traditional jidaigeki influences but presents them through a modern, highly stylised visual approach. While action plays a role, the focus remains firmly on character — particularly how loss reshapes Jingoro and drives him toward increasingly inventive, and at times unsettling, solutions.
Reeves voices Jingoro Hidari, adding to his growing list of animation roles following Toy Story 4 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He has said he was drawn to the project’s vision, describing it as a fully realised cinematic world that has evolved significantly from its early concept stage.
Behind the scenes, the production brings together dwarf studios with Tokyo-based agency Whatever Co. and animation house TECARAT. The collaboration combines detailed stop-motion craftsmanship with broader world-building ambition, supported by financing from experienced Japanese industry backers.
A global release date has yet to be confirmed, but following its Cannes showcase, HIDARI is expected to move into wider international distribution.
