Feb. 5, 2027: John Wick Director's Karōshi Trailer Drops

Lionsgate on Thursday released the first trailer for Karōshi, a dystopian action film from John Wick creator Chad Stahelski set for release February 5, 2027, according to Ars Technica.

The title borrows a Japanese term for death from overwork, a phenomenon the outlet notes is usually tied to stress-related heart attacks, strokes, or suicide, and one that has been documented not only across much of Asia but in Sweden as well.

What is Karōshi about?

Writer-director Takashi Doscher places that real-world concept inside a near-future Manhattan dominated by a company called Ikigai Technologies. Lionsgate's official premise, as relayed by Ars Technica, describes an "action-thriller set in a near-future Manhattan, where corporate loyalty and cultural tradition have reshaped everyday life." A mysterious outsider infiltrates the firm after a worker's death, the synopsis continues, and "exposes the violent system hidden beneath its polished surface."

Who stars in Karōshi?

Teo Yoo, known for Past Lives, plays the film's protagonist, Hiro, described in the report as being out for vengeance against the company. The ensemble also includes Takehiro Hira, who appeared in the 2024 miniseries Shōgun, alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Cynthia Erivo, Bill Camp, Richard Harmon, Isabel May, and Show Kasamatsu, per Ars Technica's rundown of the cast.

What happens in the trailer?

The footage opens with Hira's character praising Ikigai Technologies for helping shape "modern life for millions" and lauding employees' "daily commitment and sacrifice," according to the outlet's description. The tone shifts immediately after: a distraught worker deliberately falls backward to his death from the top of the company's skyscraper. Hiro then begins to suspect something darker lies behind the firm's embrace of what the trailer frames as a samurai code of "integrity" and "honor" paired with violence, the report states. Ars Technica writer Jennifer Ouellette singles out one combat beat in particular — Hiro shielding himself with a paper umbrella from the blood spurting from an opponent's neck — calling it a "clever flourish" in the John Wick tradition.

Who is making Karōshi?

Stahelski, who built the John Wick franchise, directs through his stunt-and-action shop 87Eleven, the outlet notes, pairing his team's choreography pedigree with Doscher's script. The film marks a departure in setting from Wick's assassin underworld toward corporate dystopia, but Ars Technica frames the connection as creative lineage rather than a shared story.

When does Karōshi hit theaters?

Lionsgate has set a February 5, 2027, theatrical release, according to Ars Technica's report. No additional distribution details, such as international dates or streaming plans, were included in the available material.

How does the film connect to real karōshi deaths?

The outlet is explicit that karōshi is not fictional shorthand: it is a documented term for overwork deaths in Japan, including karōjisatsu, or overwork suicide, and a pattern researchers have also tracked in Sweden. Doscher's script transplants that documented public-health concern into a near-future thriller rather than treating it purely as a genre device, per the report.

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