Keanu Reeves-Voiced Stop-Motion Samurai Animation ‘Hidari’ Steals the Show at Annecy: ‘Imagine ‘John Wick’ Set in Feudal Japan and Performed by Wooden Puppets on Steroids’

According to Variety, Keanu Reeves has confirmed his voice work on 'Hidari,' a stop-motion samurai action film that premiered at the Annecy International Animation Festival. Reeves sent a video message celebrating the project, calling the animators' work 'cinematic,' with ambition matching major live-action productions. The film reimagines the action-film formula—imagine John Wick set in feudal Japan, performed entirely by stop-motion puppets. The project represents an unusual intersection: Oscar-winning animation techniques meeting the kinetic energy of Keanu Reeves action cinema, all executed through handcrafted puppetry.

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