Keanu Reeves returns to samurai themes 13 years after "47 Ronin": the actor has landed the lead role in the feature film HIDARI. According to Variety, Reeves will voice Master Jingoro Hidari, a legendary Edo-era craftsman embroiled in a conspiracy surrounding the reconstruction of Edo Castle.
In a comment to Variety, Reeves expressed his enthusiasm for the film's concept:
"From the initial idea to the developed script, the team has created something truly outstanding. The film has all the makings of an exceptional picture that I look forward to and want to be a part of creating. I believe this project can offer something special to audiences worldwide."
The project is based on the eponymous short film by Masashi Kawamura, published on YouTube in 2023. The video quickly went viral and garnered nearly five million views thanks to its unusual visual style, combining traditional Japanese aesthetics, wooden puppets, brutal samurai action, and stop-motion animation. Now, the story will be expanded into a feature film lasting approximately 90 minutes.
HIDARI is being produced by Whatever studio, co-founded by Kawamura, the animation team dwarf studios, and TECARAT, responsible for the art direction and creation of the wooden puppets. Previously, the project successfully raised funding on Kickstarter: over 1400 people supported it, and the amount raised exceeded $96 thousand. Production is planned to be completed by 2029.
The short film HIDARI is available at the following link.