Taylor Sheridan Star's New Action Thriller Is Blade Runner Meets John Wick

Published Nov 12, 2026, 10:00 AM EST

Padraig is a Senior Features Writer and has been part of Screen Rant since 2017. Padraig is a writer, editor and retired Game of Thrones extra who has been writing about movies and TV online for over a decade. He has also written for The Irish Times, Den Of Geek, Little White Lies and many more. It's pronounced Paw-rick, BTW.

A breakout star from Taylor Sheridan's TV empire will front one of 2027's most exciting action movies, which looks like Blade Runner crossed with John Wick. It has become a cliché to state that John Wick movies revolutionized the action genre during the 2010s - but it's also very true.

Most American action movies before John Wick relied on quick cuts and murky cinematography, but the original 2014 film injected color, personality, and a fresh way to shoot action in the genre that other films soon borrowed/ripped off. While fans awaiting word on John Wick 5 happening, they can look forward to the upcoming Karōshi for their next action fix.

Set inside the walls of a corporate skyscraper in a futuristic Manhattan, the story follows Isabel May's (1883) exec as she tries to fill a position following the mysterious death of an employee. The movie's title refers to a term in Japanese culture that translates as "death from overwork," where long hours and constant work-related stress can lead to death from heart attacks or other conditions.

What To Know About Karōshi

The trailer for Karōshi makes it clear it is a hyper-stylised action movie in the John Wick vein, with the preview even name-checking John Wick director Chad Stahelski as co-producer. It also has an exciting and eclectic cast, including May, Shōgun's Takehiro Hira, Cynthia Erivo, and Giancarlo Esposito playing major roles.

The movie will be a mashup of sci-fi, martial arts epic and satire, with Karōshi aiming its sights directly at toxic corporate culture and the glamorization of overworking. While Karōshi has a futuristic sheen, it is still keeping its vision of the future relatively grounded. Rather than a wacky, Fifth Element-inspired look at what the future holds for mankind, it's taking more of a "five minutes into the future" approach.

Karōshi is the brainchild of writer/director Takashi Doscher, who previously helmed indie outings like Still and Only. He is also listed as the writer of the upcoming video game adaptation Ghost of Tsushima, which Chad Stahelski is currently attached to as helmer.

Karōshi Has Visual Similarities To Blade Runner

Credit: Lionsgate

Until Karōshi's trailer arrived online, the film wasn't really on anybody's radar. With its incredible action and visuals, it has already established itself as one of 2027's most exciting action films - and maybe even the start of a franchise. While the New York of Karōshi's future isn't as dark and dystopian as Blade Runner, it's hard to deny the visual influence.

Scratch & Peek

Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.

It has a similar mix of American and Asian cultures, and a cityscape brimming with with neon signs and lighting. The skyscraper where the story takes place doesn't feel far off from Blade Runner's Tyrell Corporation either, though its cyberpunk feel is still less pronounced than Ridley Scott's 1982 classic; AKA, no replicants are involved.

Karōshi does have another thematic link with Blade Runner, in that both are set in a world where corporations rule everything and operate seemingly with no oversight. The 2027 sci-fi actioner is taking a more hopeful approach, though, as a rebellion brews following the death of a co-worker.

Karōshi Will Have John Wick-Esque Action

Given that many of the core team behind the John Wick series are involved, it's little surprise the action looks so good. There appear to be no guns involved either, with the samurai culture of the corporate villains seeing everybody fighting with swords and other bladed weapons. The setpieces are also shot with a Wickian style of long, flowing takes with highly choreographed action.

Question 1 of 3

The fights glimpsed in the preview bear a resemblance to John Wick: Chapter 4's Osaka Continental section, which might be where the inspiration for the film came from. While it might not be an official part of the Keanu Reeves-fronted saga, Karōshi looks like a spiritual successor to the John Wick series and one that features a similar level of world-building. Time will tell if it clicks with audiences in the same way, but in terms of visuals and tone, it's certainly setting itself apart from the competition.

"John Wick" is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of assassins.