Keanu Reeves to voice title character in Japanese samurai epic Hidari
Keanu Reeves will voice the titular role in the Japanese stop-motion samurai epic Hidari from filmmaker Masashi Kawamura.
Keanu Reeves is to lend his voice to the Japanese samurai epic Hidari.
The 61-year-old actor will voice the title character in the stop-motion action film from director Masashi Kawamura.
Hidari is an expansion of Kawamura's 2023 proof-of-concept viral series of the same name, which has amassed nearly five million views on YouTube.
The story is loosely inspired by the legend of Jingoro Hidari, a near-mythic master carpenter from Japan's Edo period, and follows the artisan as he loses his father figure, his fiancée and his right arm to a betrayal tied to the secret reconstruction of Edo Castle – then channels his own grief into vengeance, wielding a series of mechanical prosthetic arms of his own design alongside his loyal animated wooden companion, the Sleeping Cat.
Kawamura has also penned the screenplay.
Reeves said in a statement: "I'm thrilled by the vision behind Hidari.
"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."
Kawamura added: "I'm super excited to be collaborating with Keanu.
"When someone with his experience and creative vision watches your proof-of-concept and says, 'I want to be a 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."
Meanwhile, Keanu revealed last year that he was encouraged to change his name when he was first trying to make it in Hollywood as his manager feared it could harm his career prospects.
During an appearance on the New Heights podcast, The Matrix actor said: "I got paid when I was like 16, so I was a professional actor around 16, 17 [years old].
"I was in Toronto, Canada, and then I got a manager who lived in Los Angeles ... At 20 years old, I drove in my car to Los Angeles. Got out of my car and my manager said, 'We want to change your name.' So that’s like, a welcome to Hollywood [moment].
"I remember I was walking on the beach and I was just like, 'My name? What if I change my name? What?'"
Keanu actually considered changing his name to "Chuck Spadina" at one point in time but ultimately decided that he shouldn't compromise in his pursuit of success in the movie business.
The John Wick star said: "My middle name is Charles, so I was like, ‘…Chuck?’ And I grew up on a street called Spadina, [therefore] Chuck Spadina. And then I was something Templeton. So then I became KC Reeves.
"I was credited as KC Reeves … And then I couldn’t do it. So then I would be in auditions and they would go, ‘KC Reeves.’ And I wouldn’t even answer. Six months later, I was like, 'I’m not doing this.' That’s a Hollywood moment."
