Karōshi Trailer: John Wick Producer Brings Samurai Action to Manhattan

What happens when corporate loyalty becomes a matter of life and death? The first official trailer for Karōshi introduces a brutal vision of workplace culture, blending futuristic technology, Japanese traditions and explosive action in the heart of Manhattan.

Starring Teo Yoo (Past Lives), the film takes place in a near-future New York where powerful corporations have reshaped society around strict codes of obedience and honour.

Following the death of an employee at Ikigai Technologies, a mysterious outsider named Hiro (Yoo) infiltrates the company. What begins as an investigation soon exposes a ruthless system of violence concealed beneath its carefully maintained professional image.

The trailer contrasts polished corporate environments with savage confrontations, introducing a world where the ideals of the samurai have been incorporated into modern business culture. Its striking action sequences suggest that surviving the working day may require considerably more than meeting performance targets.

Written and directed by Takashi Doscher (Only), the film is produced by Chad Stahelski, the filmmaker behind the John Wick franchise, through his 87Eleven Entertainment production company.

The ensemble includes Isabel May, Takehiro Hira, Bill Camp, Show Kasamatsu, Giancarlo Esposito and Cynthia Erivo.

The title Karōshi comes from the Japanese term meaning "death from overwork", giving the film's violent corporate premise a distinctly unsettling real-world connection.

Karōshi is scheduled for release in UK and US cinemas on 5 February 2027.

Combining dystopian science fiction with samurai-inspired action, the film offers a darkly satirical examination of ambition, exploitation and the human cost of corporate power.