Hugh Jackman in ‘The Sheep Detectives’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
The new mystery comedy ‘The Sheep Detectives’, which is based on the book ‘Three Bags Full’ by Leonie Swann and was written by Craig Mazin (‘Chernobyl’) and directed by Kyle Balda (‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’), opens in theaters on May 8th.
“A new breed of mystery.”
Release Date: May 8, 2026
Run Time: 1 hr 49 min
Budget: $30,000,000
The film’s live-action cast includes Hugh Jackman (‘Deadpool & Wolverine’), Nicholas Braun (‘Succession’), Nicholas Galitzine (‘Masters of the Universe’), Molly Gordon (‘Booksmart’), Hong Chau (‘The Menu’), and Oscar winner Emma Thompson (‘Cruella’), while the voice cast features Julia Louis-Dreyfus (‘Thunderbolts*’), Bryan Cranston (‘Drive’), Chris O’Dowd as Mopple (‘Bridesmaids’), Regina Hall (‘One Battle After Another’), Patrick Stewart (‘Logan’), Bella Ramsey (‘The Last of Us’), and Brett Goldstein (‘Ted Lasso’).
Related Article: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Chris O’Dowd Talk ‘The Sheep Detectives’
Initial Thoughts
(L to R) Ishi Agrawal as the voice of Pickles, Aroop Shergill as the voice of Daisy, Jasper Ambrose as the voice of Oliver, Regina Hall as the voice of Cloud, Rhys Darby as the voice of Wool-Eyes, Brett Goldstein as the voice of Reggie and Ronnie, Patrick Stewart as the voice of Sir Ritchfield, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the voice of Lily, Chris O’Dowd as the voice of Mopple, Bella Ramsey as the voice of Zora, and Laraine Newman as the voice of the Fainting Sheep in ‘The Sheep Detectives’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Based on author Leonie Swann’s ‘Three Bags Full’, director Kyle Balda’s ‘The Sheep Detectives’ is a smart and funny murder-mystery comedy, akin to ‘Knives Out’ but with sheep solving the crime instead of Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). Balda’s use of live-action performances mixed with CGI sheep in real environments lends a fun and magical tone to the heartfelt script by ‘The Last of Us’ creator Craig Mazin.
The cast is excellent, including Hugh Jackman, who grounds the film with his lovely yet brief performance as the murdered shepherd. Equally brilliant, even if she seems like she’s in her own movie, is the legendary Emma Thompson, while Nicholas Braun of ‘Succession’ puts on a comedic clinic with his appropriately bumbling performance. But the movie would not work without the wonderful voice cast who made the animal characters really come to life in a vivid way including Julia Louise-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, and Chris O’Dowd.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Director Kyle Balda and actor Nicholas Braun on the set of their film ‘The Sheep Detectives’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Alex Bailey. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The film begins by introducing us to George Hardy (Hugh Jackman), a shepherd living in a secluded area of Southeast England alone with his flock. We are also introduced to his sheep, including Lily (Julia Louise-Dreyfus) who is the leader, Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) who never forgets, and Sebastian (Bryan Cranston), the outcast. Every night George reads a whodunit mystery novel to the sheep, which they love, and Lily has gotten good at solving them.
But tragedy strikes when George is found dead, and it becomes apparent that he was murdered. The local police led by Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) don’t have a clue, and things get more complicated with the arrival of George’s lawyer (Emma Thompson), a mysterious woman named Rebecca who claims to be George’s daughter (Molly Gordon), and a nosey reporter (Nicholas Galitzine). Now, concerned that they will be sold to a slaughterhouse, the sheep, led by Lily, Mopple and Sebastian, decide to use the mystery solving skills their shepherd taught them to help the police solve George’s murder.
(L to R) Chris O’Dowd as the voice of Mopple and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the voice of Lily in ‘The Sheep Detectives’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Screenwriter Craig Mazin, who is best known for creating the popular zombie series ‘The Last of Us’, has written a sweet and heartfelt film, which also has a solid mystery to solve at its core. Both the human characters and the animal characters are fleshed out well, and all the sheep have specific personalities that the audience can relate to and understand.
With his work on animated films like ‘Minions’ and ‘Despicable Me 3’, director Kyle Balda was uniquely qualified to make this movie. The CG animals look very real, especially in scenes with the human actors, and Balda injects the film with a strong dose of emotion and humor.
Cast and Performances
Nicholas Braun stars as Officer Tim Derry in ‘The Sheep Detectives’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Alex Bailey. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
While his screen time is short, Hugh Jackman gives a heartfelt performance as George Hardy, which helps the audience really care about George’s murder and want to see the mystery solved. Emma Thompson also has limited screentime but brings a lot of humor and grace to her performance.
Besides the sheep, Nicholas Braun’s Officer Derry is really the lead character of the movie, and the actor plays the sweet but bumbling role well. He has a strong comedic chemistry with both Thompson and Molly Gordon, who also shines as George’s daughter Rebecca.
Emma Thompson stars as Lydia Harbottle in ‘The Sheep Detectives’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hong Chau plays Beth Pennock, one of the possible suspects and is very funny in her role. However, the weak spot in the human cast is future He-Man actor Nicholas Galitzine, who’s performance falls flat and is predictable by the film’s end.
The all-star cast that portrays the sheep are all excellent and give strong vocal performances, including Sir Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein and Rhys Darby. But it’s really Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd and Bryan Cranston’s characters that command the audience’s attention. Dryfus portrays Lily with intelligence and a motherly nature, which contrasts Cranston’s curmudgeon Sebastian, who’s own backstory is heartbreaking, and O’Dowd’s silly but sincere Mopple.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Tommy Birchall as the voice of The Winter Lamb and Hugh Jackman as George Hardy in ‘The Sheep Detectives’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
In the end, ‘The Sheep Detectives’ is a rare movie for the whole family, where you can take your kids and your parents alike to the film and both will enjoy equally. While it may not be the hardest mystery to solve, the humor, the characters, and the visual effects will be more than enough to engage any audience.
‘The Sheep Detectives’ receives a score of 85 out of 100.
(L to R) Regina Hall as the voice of Cloud, Aroop Shergill as the voice of Daisy, Patrick Stewart as the voice of Sir Ritchfield, Ishi Agrawal as the voice of Pickles, Jasper Ambrose as the voice of Oliver, Rhys Darby as the voice of Wool-Eyes, Bella Ramsey as the voice of Zora, Chris O’Dowd as the voice of Mopple, Laraine Newman as the voice of the Fainting Sheep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the voice of Lily, Brett Goldstein as the voice of Reggie and Ronnie, and Hugh Jackman as George Hardy in ‘The Sheep Detectives’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
What is the plot of ‘The Sheep Detectives’?
A flock of sheep set off to solve the mystery of who murdered their beloved shepherd (Hugh Jackman).
Who is in the cast of ‘The Sheep Detectives’?
- Hugh Jackman as George Hardy
- Nicholas Braun as Tim Derry
- Nicholas Galitzine as Elliot Matthews
- Molly Gordon as Rebecca Hampstead
- Hong Chau as Beth Pennock
- Emma Thompson as Lydia Harbottle
- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as a priest
- Conleth Hill as a butcher
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lily
- Bryan Cranston as Sebastian
- Chris O’Dowd as Mopple
- Regina Hall as Cloud
- Patrick Stewart as Sir Richfield
- Bella Ramsey as a Danish Landrace sheep
- Brett Goldstein as Reggie and Ronnie
- Rhys Darby as Wool-Eyes
‘The Sheep Detectives’ opens in theaters on May 8th.