Chad Stahelski, creator of the John Wick series, is returning early next year with Death from overwork, a dystopian action thriller set in a near-future corporate Manhattan. Lionsgate’s trailer introduces a world shaped by corporate loyalty, violence, and the deadly consequences of overwork, making the film a notable action release for 2027.
A dystopian story rooted in a real phenomenon
Death from overwork is a very real phenomenon, not only in Japan and many parts of Asia, but also in Sweden, where around 700 workers die from overwork every year. The physical causes are usually stress-related heart attacks and strokes, as well as suicide, known as karojisatsu in Japan. The Japanese term for death from overwork is karōshi.
Writer and director Takashi Doscher has adapted that concept into a grim, futuristic corporate Manhattan centered on a company called Ikigai Technologies. According to the official premise:
Death from overwork is an action thriller set in a near-future Manhattan where corporate loyalty and cultural traditions have upended everyday life. When a mysterious outsider infiltrates a powerful corporation after the death of an employee, he uncovers a system of violence hidden beneath its polished surface.
A revenge-driven cast
Yoo Tae-oh (Past Lives) stars as the aptly named Hiro, who appears determined to take revenge on the corporation. The cast also includes Takehiro Hira, who appeared in the 2024 miniseries Shōgun, along with Giancarlo Esposito, Cynthia Erivo, Bill Camp, Richard Harmon, Isabel May, and Sho Kasamatsu.
Source: arstechnica.com
