{"id":53241,"date":"2026-05-18T05:23:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T21:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=53241"},"modified":"2026-05-18T05:23:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T21:23:36","slug":"the-matrix-and-john-wick-star-keanu-reeves-to-play-wood-sculpture-samurai-in-stop-motion-film-hidari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=53241","title":{"rendered":"The Matrix and John Wick Star Keanu Reeves to Play ‘Wood Sculpture’ Samurai in Stop Motion Film Hidari"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Keanu Reeves is set to play the lead role in Hidari, a Japanese stop-motion “wood sculpture” samurai film whose proof of concept video blew up on YouTube three years ago.<\/p>\n

Hidari began life as a proof-of-concept film released on YouTube back in 2023. It features eye-catching stop-motion action, with characters made from wood, an arsenal of secret prosthetic weaponry, and even a towering wooden mech. The video has amassed over 4.9 million views, with plenty of enthusiasm in the comments for it to be fleshed out.<\/p>\n

Creator, writer, and director Masashi Kawamura had said he had a much longer story to tell, and that he had been searching for production partners and investors to help turn the concept into a full length film. Now, it looks like that dream may come true.<\/p>\n

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Cannes\u2019 Annecy Animation Showcase: The hyped Japanese stop-motion project ‘Hidari’ leads this year’s slate. A stylized and incredibly-shot revenge tale set in Edo-era reconstruction that raised over $100,000 with its 2023 Kickstarter. Full lineup details: https:\/\/t.co\/kKzBUgtG3c pic.twitter.com\/SqLa1IExBP<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Cartoon Brew (@cartoonbrew) April 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Reeves, star of The Matrix, John Wick, and the odd samurai movie himself, voices protagonist Hidari Jingoro, who is described as \u201ca man consumed by revenge yet unable to abandon his instinct to create.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the official blurb:<\/p>\n

Hidari is a stop-motion period film inspired by the legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro, a mysterious figure whose existence remains uncertain yet who left behind countless works and tales. Brought to life through intricately carved wooden puppets that mirror his craft, the film is being co-developed by three companies: Whatever, the creative studio co-founded by director Masashi Kawamura, together with two internationally acclaimed stop-motion studios, dwarf studios and Tecarat.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Set in Edo-period Japan, Hidari weaves together real historical events and figures with original characters to tell a story of revenge.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jingoro, a master craftsman of his time, is caught in a conspiracy during the reconstruction of Edo Castle, losing his mentor, the woman he loves, and even his right arm. Barely surviving, Jingoro is transformed into an agent of vengeance. Replacing his lost arm with a weaponized prosthetic, the tools he once used to carve wood are reborn as instruments of destruction. Accompanied by his partner, the \u201cSleeping Cat,\u201d he sets out on a journey of revenge \u2014 only to find himself drawn into an even greater conspiracy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Power struggles within the shogunate, advancing mechanical soldiers, and a transforming Edo Castle all threaten to consume him. As everything closes in, something within him begins to change. Hidari is a story of revenge and rebirth \u2014 of a man who once lived to create, only to lose himself in destruction, and ultimately rediscover both himself and the meaning of his life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n