Cynthia Erivo is part of a stacked ensemble in Karōshi, a new action film from the producer behind the John Wick movies, and Lionsgate released the first trailer Thursday, TheWrap reported.
Written and directed by Takashi Doscher, the film is set in a futuristic Manhattan where, according to the official synopsis, corporate loyalty and cultural tradition have reshaped daily life. A mysterious outsider infiltrates a powerful company after a worker dies and uncovers the violence hidden under its polished image.
Teo Yoo leads the cast with Isabel May, Takehiro Hira, Bill Camp and Sho Kasamatsu, with Giancarlo Esposito and Erivo also starring. Chad Stahelski, who directed every film in the main John Wick franchise, produces with Jason Spitz, Alex Young and Nathan Kahane.
Why it matters
Karōshi puts two of Hollywood's most in-demand performers of color in a genre space built on Stahelski's brand of stylized action. For Erivo, it is another turn in a busy run that also includes her casting as Afeni Shakur in a Snoop Dogg biopic about Tupac Shakur's mother (read our story). Esposito, one of the most recognizable Afro-Latino actors working today, adds another veteran presence to the cast.
The film runs a lean 88 minutes, according to TheWrap, and its title borrows the Japanese term for death from overwork, a fitting name for a story about a company that consumes its employees.
Karōshi opens in theaters Feb. 5, 2027. It will face a crowded weekend, with Judd Apatow's The Comeback King, Disney's Ice Age: Boiling Point and M. Night Shyamalan's Remain all set for the same date.
