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The Hollywood actor joins director Masashi Kawamura's ambitious feature, announced at the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Keanu Reeves has signed on to voice the title character in Hidari, an upcoming Japanese stop-motion action feature helmed by Tokyo-based director Masashi Kawamura. The announcement was made at Cannes on Sunday. The film is a full-length expansion of Kawamura's well-received 2023 proof-of-concept short of the same name, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Story Rooted In Japanese Legend

Set against the backdrop of Edo Castle's reconstruction, the film follows a master craftsman whose world unravels after a devastating betrayal strips him of the people he loves and his right arm. Inspired loosely by the legend of Jingoro Hidari, a carpenter of near-mythic status from Japan's Edo period, the narrative picks up as the craftsman channels his loss into a quest for revenge, armed with a prosthetic limb he built himself.

Reeves expressed his excitement about joining the project. "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," he said in a statement.

Reeves No Stranger To Voice Acting

This is not Reeves' first time stepping behind the microphone for an animated project. He previously voiced Duke Caboom in Pixar's Toy Story 4 and Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He has also worked as a narrator and producer through his BRZRKR comic-book and Netflix venture.

Kawamura, known for his genre-fluid, design-driven work across commercials, music videos, television, and large-scale public installations, said the collaboration feels like a natural fit. "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," Kawamura said. "He's not just lending his voice to Hidari. He's helping us shape and expand this world."