Hidari

Hidari is an ambitious stop-motion feature film expanding director Masashi Kawamura's viral 2023 proof-of-concept short, which has garnered nearly five million views on YouTube. Keanu Reeves leads the voice cast as Jingoro Hidari, a master carpenter and sculptor from Japan's Edo period who channels grief into vengeance after betrayal costs him everything. The project is a co-production between dwarf studios, Tokyo creative agency Whatever, and animation house TECARAT, with financing from Questry Co. Producer Noriko Matsumoto brings her track record from Netflix's Rilakkuma series and the Academy Awards-shortlisted Bottle George. Kawamura and Matsumoto are currently in active conversations with international partners to greenlight production, with the team seeking financing and distribution collaborators. The film will use intricately hand-carved wooden puppets animated frame-by-frame, blending Japanese craftsmanship with dynamic action inspired by films like John Wick. The project received support from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs and was presented at the Annecy Animation Showcase during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Reeves' involvement was announced.