Sheep in the Box

Source: Sheep in the Box Production Committee / Gaga

‘Sheep in the Box’ stars Daigo and Ayase Haruka

Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda has begun shooting Sheep In The Box, starring award-winning actress Ayase Haruka and comedian Daigo.

It will mark the first feature from Kore-eda since Monster, which premiered in Competition at Cannes in 2023, winning the queer palm and best screenplay.

Japan’s Gaga will handle sales for Asia as well as North America in collaboration with France’s Goodfellas. Goodfellas will oversee sales for Europe, the Middle East, CIS, Oceania, Latin America, and Africa.

Written and directed by Kore-eda, the film is set in the near future, where a couple takes in a state-of-the-art humanoid into their home as their son.

“This project began with the idea of bringing the dead back to life using the latest technology,” said Kore-eda. “A few years ago, similar concepts had already been featured on Japanese television programmes and attracted considerable attention. I was interested in exploring the conflicting perspectives regarding how technological advancement clashes with human inner values.

“In the spring of last year, I came across an article about the popularity of ‘resurrection businesses’ in China, and in the fall, I met someone actually engaged in that field. It made me realise that such developments could occur in Japan as well, and with technology evolving at a pace far beyond what I had imagined, I felt that this reality might arrive sooner than expected.”

The title Sheep In The Box draws inspiration from classic French children’s novel The Little Prince.

Filming began earlier this month and the film is set to be released in Japan in 2026 by Gaga Corporation in co-operation with Toho. It is produced by Fuji Television Network, Gaga, Toho and Aoi Pro.

It reunites the filmmaker with Ayase Haruka, who previously starred in Our Little Sister, which played in Competition at Cannes in 2017. Daigo is one of Japan’s top comedians and Sheep In The Box marks his first leading role in a feature film.

Kore-Eda has been a regular at Cannes for more than 20 years with titles including Distance, Nobody Knows and jury prize winner Like Father, Like Son as well as Our Little Sister, Broker and Shoplifters, which won the Palme d’Or in 2018.

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