Emma Thompson’s murder mystery confirms UK releaseSony Pictures
The Sheep Detectives, a brand new comedy starring Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson, is set to debut in May. Receiving an official release date, the film – based on the 2005 novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann – will get an early premiere across the bank holiday weekend from 2-4 May, before landing in UK cinemas on 8 May.
Directed by Kyle Balda, the esteemed filmmaker behind The Lorax (2012) and Despicable Me 3 (2017), The Sheep Detectives was adapted for the screen by The Last of Us and Scary Movie 3 writer Craig Mazin.
Boasting a star-studded line-up, Jackman and Thompson – who previously co-starred in 2019’s Missing Link – are joined by Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau and Tosin Cole, all of whom are in live-action roles.
Sony Pictures
Related: UK film release dates
As for the equally impressive voice cast, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein and Rhys Darby portray the titular sheep detectives at the centre of the story.
According to the synopsis: “In this witty, new breed of mystery, George (Jackman) is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realise they must become the detectives.
“As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.”
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures
Back in 2025, Jackman and Thompson appeared in a video segment during a CinemaCon reveal of the film (via The Hollywood Reporter).
After a brief clip was screened as part of the Amazon MGM Studios presentation in Las Vegas, Thompson said: “It was, as you’ll see from the clip, the most fantastic, loving, beautiful idea, this synthesis between animals and people.”
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures
Meanwhile, Jackman noted: “The movie is a bit of a whodunit, which is always fun. The movie has such heart.”
The Sheep Detectives will get an early release on 2-4 May, before officially landing in UK cinemas on 8 May.
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