• Keanu Reeves wrote a letter to federal Judge Jed Rakoff asking for leniency in sentencing Carl Rinsch, who directed Reeves in 2013’s 47 Ronin
• Rinsch was convicted in December on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and illegal transactions — he scammed Netflix out of $11 million meant to fund his sci-fi series White Horse, spending it on luxury cars, high-end mattresses, and crypto
• Reeves acknowledged he doesn’t know the full details of the case but called Rinsch an “exceptional artist” who tends to “self-sabotage” by pushing the limits of negotiated agreements
• Rinsch faces 8-10 years; his defense team is arguing for a lighter sentence and submitted letters from family, friends, and Reeves ahead of the June 29 sentencing
• Reeves not only starred in 47 Ronin but later became a mentor and early investor on White Horse — the very project Rinsch used to defraud Netflix

Keanu Reeves knows his 47 Ronin director defrauded Netflix out of $11 million. He’s asking a judge to go easy on him anyway.

In a letter submitted to Manhattan federal Judge Jed Rakoff as part of Carl Rinsch’s sentencing materials, Reeves wrote that he hoped the director’s sentence “might be tempered with measures of leniency and mercy as well as justice.” The letter, dated May 1, was included in Rinsch’s defense filing this week ahead of his June 29 sentencing date.

Rinsch was convicted last December on federal charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making illegal transactions. Prosecutors said he took $11 million from Netflix — money intended to fund his sci-fi series White Horse — and spent it on luxury cars, high-end mattresses, and cryptocurrency investments. The series was never delivered. He faces 8 to 10 years in prison under sentencing guidelines; his defense team is pushing for a significantly lighter sentence.

What Reeves Said

The letter is careful but revealing. Reeves was upfront that he “does not know the details” of the case. What he offered instead was a character portrait from someone who worked with Rinsch closely — and later invested in the project that became the center of the fraud.

“Based upon what I do know about Carl, I did want to take the opportunity to write on his behalf, in the hope that his sentence might be tempered with measures of leniency and mercy as well as justice,” Reeves wrote, per Deadline.

He described Rinsch as an “exceptional artist” who tends to “self-sabotage” by pushing the boundaries of negotiated agreements. “I am, of course, not a therapist or psychologist,” Reeves added — which is the kind of qualifier that makes the character assessment more credible, not less.

The History Between Them

Reeves and Rinsch go back to 2013, when Rinsch directed the big-budget samurai fantasy 47 Ronin with Reeves in the lead role. The film had a notoriously troubled production — budget overruns, reshoots, studio friction — and underperformed at the box office. But the two maintained a relationship afterward.

When Rinsch developed White Horse, his sci-fi series for Netflix, Reeves came on not just as a supporter but as a mentor and early investor. That makes his decision to write a leniency letter something more than a favor for a former collaborator — he was personally connected to the project Rinsch is now going to prison for misusing.

Rinsch’s sentencing is scheduled for June 29 before Judge Rakoff in Manhattan federal court.

The post Keanu Reeves Wrote to a Judge for His 47 Ronin Director — Even After the $11M Netflix Fraud appeared first on Cream.

• Keanu Reeves will voice the title role in Hidari, a Japanese stop-motion action feature from director Masashi Kawamura.
• The film expands Kawamura’s viral 2023 proof-of-concept short, which has nearly 5 million YouTube views.
• Set in Japan’s Edo period, it follows a master carpenter who loses his arm and seeks revenge with lethal mechanical prosthetics.
• The announcement was made Sunday at the Annecy Animation Showcase in Cannes.
• Reeves previously voiced characters in Toy Story 4 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Keanu Reeves is heading to feudal Japan. The actor has signed on to lead the voice cast of Hidari, director Masashi Kawamura’s stop-motion samurai feature, with the news breaking Sunday morning at the Annecy Animation Showcase in Cannes.

The film is a full feature expansion of Kawamura’s viral 2023 proof-of-concept short of the same name — a stunning piece of stop-motion work that has racked up close to 5 million views on YouTube since its release. Reeves will voice Jingoro Hidari, a near-mythic master carpenter from Japan’s Edo period whose story is equal parts tragedy and revenge thriller.

The official synopsis lays it out: betrayed by those desperate to bury the secrets of Edo Castle’s reconstruction, Jingoro loses everything — his father figure, his fiancée, and even his right arm. Rather than break, he channels that grief into vengeance, wielding a series of lethal mechanical prosthetic arms of his own design. At his side throughout: his loyal wooden companion, the Sleeping Cat.

It’s the kind of role that feels almost written for Reeves — a stoic, skilled warrior driven by loss who fights his way toward something resembling justice. Sound familiar?

“I’m thrilled by the vision behind Hidari,” Reeves said in a statement. “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.”

For Kawamura, getting that call from Reeves was a genuine pinch-yourself moment. “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,” the director said. “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.”

A Director With a Résumé Like No Other

Kawamura isn’t your typical animation filmmaker. The Tokyo-based director’s work spans commercials, music videos, TV, and large-scale public installations — including designing the largest pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025 and creating the dancing clones for Lady Gaga’s stage performances. His projects have earned a Cristal at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, an International Emmy nomination, and top honors at the One Show and Clio Awards. He also wrote the screenplay for Hidari.

The film is produced by Noriko Matsumoto under her Japanese animation house Dwarf Studios, which has made a name for itself by bridging Japanese animation and global platforms. The studio partnered with Netflix on the beloved Rilakkuma series, and Matsumoto’s recent short Bottle George was shortlisted for the 2025 Academy Awards. Hidari is a co-production between Dwarf Studios, Tokyo creative agency Whatever, and animation house TECARAT, with financing from Questry Co.’s Tomonobu Ibe, one of Japan’s leading entertainment finance specialists.

Reeves Is No Stranger to the Voice Booth

This isn’t Reeves’ first time stepping away from live-action to lend his voice to an animated world. He voiced the scene-stealing Duke Caboom in Pixar’s Toy Story 4 in 2019, and more recently played Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in 2024. He’s also been deeply involved in animation-adjacent work through his BRZRKR comic book and Netflix project.

No release date has been set for Hidari yet, but given the pedigree behind it — and the internet’s already established love for that original short — this one is going to be worth the wait.

The post Keanu Reeves to Voice Lead in Stop-Motion Samurai Film ‘Hidari’ appeared first on Cream.