Keanu Reeves signed on to star in the Japanese stop-motion feature Hidari after viewing the project pilot, with his representatives responding to the filmmakers roughly a week after the screening to set up a video call, according to director Kawamura Masashi at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Kawamura, who wrote, created and directs the feature, appeared alongside co-director Ogawa Iku at a panel detailing Film Frontier, an initiative supported by Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs and managed by festival organizer UniJapan. The project has funded travel costs for the group to attend industry events and markets.

While the casting of Reeves as the main voice actor was revealed at Cannes in May, Kawamura noted that the actor watched the pilot ahead of the festival. Kawamura stated that the team was heavily influenced by the films of Akira Kurosawa, leading them to design the puppet by mixing the features of Mifune Toshiro and Keanu Reeves, then aging the result.

Following this vision, Kawamura kept Reeves as his top choice for the lead voice role. Producers tracked down a way to reach the performer and arranged for him to view the pilot footage. About a week later, the team received a positive response to schedule a Zoom meeting, with Kawamura expressing surprise at how quickly the process moved.

The project also attracted the attention of RRR director S.S. Rajamouli. Kawamura explained that he met the Indian filmmaker at Annecy, presented the project, and engaged in a conversation lasting about thirty minutes regarding the production methods.

The production crew filmed the initial concept short approximately three years ago, funding the effort independently alongside crowdfunding before uploading the video to YouTube. The clip has since accumulated around 5.3 million views and about 120,000 followers, with a large portion coming from international audiences, as stated by Kawamura.

With backing from Film Frontier, the creators pitched the movie at the Annecy Animation Showcase during the Cannes Film Market while transporting one of the hand-carved puppets. Kawamura mentioned that the puppet attracted larger crowds than the creators themselves.

The budget remains substantial, and the team continues to pitch the production, pursuing grants and collaborations with international distributors. Dwarf Studios producer Matsumoto Noriko shared earlier this month in Busan that discussions with an American company offering full funding in exchange for total rights had stalled.