Los Angeles, Hollywood star Keanu Reeves will lend his voice to the title role of “Hidari”, a Japanese stop-motion action feature bydirector Masashi Kawamura.
The feature, which was announced at Cannes on Sunday, is an expansion of Kawamura’s popular 2023 proof-of-concept short of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The story is loosely inspired by the legend of Jingoro Hidari, a near-mythic master carpenter from Japan’s Edo period. The story revolves around a betrayal that leads the master craftsman to lose his father figure, his fiancee and his right arm during the reconstruction of Edo Castle. He then embarks on an vengeance with the help of a prosthetic arm that he has designed.
“I’m thrilled by the vision behind Hidari,” Reeves said in a statement.
“From the proof of concept to the developed script, the team has created something truly extraordinary. It has all the makings of an exceptional film – one I’m excited to see and eager to be part of. I believe this project has the potential to bring something very special to audiences worldwide,” the actor said.
Reeves is not new to voice acting. He has previously voiced Duke Caboom in Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” and Shadow the Hedgehog in “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”. He has also narrated and produced under his own BRZRKR comic-book and Netflix banner.
Kawamura is a Tokyo-based director and creative who is known for genre-fluid, design-driven work spanning commercials, music videos, television and large-scale public installations.
“I’m super excited to be collaborating with Keanu,” Kawamura said in a statement.
“When someone with his experience and creative vision watches your proof of concept and says, ‘I want to be part of this,’ it’s an incredible feeling. He’s not just lending his voice to Hidari – he’s helping us shape and expand this world, and I can’t wait to see where we take it together.”
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