Keanu Reeves’ stop-motion Samurai film 'Hidari' seeks new partner after US funding talks stall

Keanu Reeves’ upcoming stop-motion samurai film Hidari is searching for a new financing partner after negotiations with a US company stalled over a proposed deal that would have required the Japanese studio behind the project to surrender all rights to the film.

Producer Matsumoto Noriko revealed the development during a session at the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), held alongside the Busan International Film Festival. Japan’s Dwarf Studios, which is developing the project with production partners Whatever and Tecarat, is now exploring alternative ways to finance the film while retaining control over its intellectual property.

According to Matsumoto, the US company had offered to cover the entire production budget in exchange for all rights. Although the offer provided a potential solution to the film’s financing needs, Dwarf wanted to retain 50 per cent of the rights and sought Japanese investment to help cover the remaining costs.

However, the negotiations could not progress after the people Matsumoto had been dealing with lost their jobs amid upheaval in Hollywood. The setback has left the studio looking for another partner willing to support the project without requiring it to relinquish ownership.

Hidari is directed by Kawamura Masashi and features Reeves as a voice actor. The stop-motion samurai project gained international attention after Dwarf produced a pilot short in 2023, financing part of the work through crowdfunding. The short helped bring Reeves on board and opened the door to further international interest.

The film has since been presented at the Annecy Animation Showcase in Cannes and at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, helping raise its profile among potential international partners.

Questry chief executive Ibe Tomonobu has established a special-purpose company for Hidari, allowing Japanese and overseas investors to participate in financing the production. The arrangement is intended to provide an alternative to relying on a single international financier.

The project also highlights the challenges facing Japanese productions seeking international co-production deals. Matsumoto explained that stop-motion filmmaking can make such arrangements particularly difficult, as production work is not easily divided between countries to meet spending requirements attached to financing agreements.

Despite the stalled US negotiations, Dwarf Studios remains committed to finding collaborators for Hidari. The search for a new partner will be crucial to securing the film’s financing while allowing its creators to preserve control over the project.