Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson’s sheep-based murder mystery gets excellent first trailer

The first trailer for The Sheep Detectives is out, and it looks fantastic! Starring Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson, the movie—based on Leonie Swann’s novel Three Bags Full—is a charming murder mystery about a flock of sheep who investigate the death of their shepherd.

At first, we’re introduced to George Hardy, played by Hugh Jackman, taking care of his sheep – and even reading them mystery novels! These aren’t ordinary sheep, though – they secretly understand and enjoy the stories.

Things get serious when George is discovered dead, and the birds start causing chaos in town as everyone tries to figure out who did it. The motive might be the $30 million he left in his will.

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I’m really excited about the cast! We get to see Thompson as this incredibly dynamic lawyer, and Nicholas Braun from Succession is playing a policeman – and he’s doing a British accent, which is a fun surprise! Plus, Nicholas Galitzine (Mary & George), Molly Gordon (The Bear), and Hong Chau (The Night Agent) are all starring, and they’re all fantastic actors, so I have high hopes!

The movie boasts a fantastic voice cast, featuring Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad, Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Veep, Chris O’Dowd known for Black Mirror, Regina Hall from One Battle After Another, and Patrick Stewart, who starred alongside Hugh Jackman in X-Men.

The story begins with the discovery of George’s mysterious death, which the sheep immediately recognize as murder. They’re confident they can figure out who did it, but the local police officer, Tim Derry (played by Nicholas Braun), has never solved a major crime before.

The sheep decide they must fix the problem on their own, even if it means venturing beyond their pasture and discovering that the human world is more complicated than they thought.

Craig Mazin, known for The Last of Us, wrote The Sheep Detectives, and Kyle Balda, who directed Minions, is the director.

The new movie is scheduled for release next year, following a productive 2025 for both Jackman and Thompson. Jackman recently starred in the musical drama Song Sung Blue, and Thompson appeared in the thriller Dead of Winter and the Apple TV series Down Cemetery Road.

The Sheep Detectives is due out in UK cinemas on 8 May, 2026.

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2025-12-18 18:49