Sheep in the Box
| Sheep in the Box | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Japanese | 箱の中の羊 |
| Directed by | Hirokazu Koreeda |
| Written by | Hirokazu Koreeda |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Ryûto Kondô |
| Edited by | Hirokazu Koreeda |
| Music by | Yuta Bandoh |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 127 minutes[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Box office | $4.4 million[2] |
Sheep in the Box (Japanese: 箱の中の羊) is a 2026 Japanese science fiction drama film written, directed and edited by Hirokazu Koreeda.[3] It stars Haruka Ayase and Daigo Yamamoto as a couple who welcomes an infant humanoid robot (Kuwaki Rimu), following the death of their son.[4][5]
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It received mixed reviews. It was theatrically released in Japan by Toho on 29 May.
Cast
[edit]- Haruka Ayase as Otone Komoto[4]
- Daigo Yamamoto as Kensuke Komoto
- Rimu Kuwaki as Kakeru, a humanoid robot
- Nana Seino as Alice Kotaki
- Kanichiro as Gen Hidaka
- Hinata Hiiragi as Takuto Konno
- Akihiro Kakuta as Junichi Hano
- Kayo Noro as Kasumi Hano
- Mari Hoshino as a mother who accepted a humanoid robot as her son.
- Ayumu Nakajima as an engineer
- Kimiko Yo as Nobuyo Nishimura
- Min Tanaka as Akio Yamagata
Production
[edit]Japanese cinematographer Ryûto Kondô shot the film on 35mm,[6] marking his third collaboration with Koreeda following Shoplifters (2018) and Monster (2023).
Release
[edit]The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May,[7] where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It was theatrically released in Japan by Toho on 29 May 2026.[8]
It was screened in the Summer Screen Programme section of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival in August 2026.[9]
In late 2025, Neon acquired the film's rights for the for U.S., U.K. and Australia.[10] It was theatrically released in the United States on 24 July 2026.
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]It grossed $4.2 million at the worldwide box office. Including $3.7 million at the Japanese box office.[11]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 41% of 75 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "A rare disappointment from director Hirokazu Koreeda, Sheep in the Box is a muted domestic drama whose rumination on artificial intelligence could have used more of the filmmaker's characteristic humanity."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[13]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Sheep In The Box [PG]". Alberta Film Classification Office. July 9, 2026. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Sheep in the Box". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
- ↑ "SHEEP IN THE BOX". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- 1 2 Shackleton, Liz (2025-09-29). "Hirokazu Kore-eda Starts Shooting 'Sheep In The Box' With Gaga, Goodfellas Handling Sales". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ Hazelton, John. "Neon takes Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Sheep In The Box' for US, UK and Australia". Screen. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ Hazlewood, Kirsty (2026-05-13). "Seven features shot on Kodak film compete for the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2026". Cinematography World. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ "The Screenings Guide of the 79th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 2026-05-07. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
- ↑ Billington, Alex (2026-02-06). "Koreeda's 'Sheep in the Box' Robot Boy Sci-Fi Film First Look Teaser | FirstShowing.net". www.firstshowing.net. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ "The Latest Films from World-Acclaimed Authors in the Summer Screen Programme". Sarajevo Film Festival. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
- ↑ Keslassy, Elsa; Lang, Brent (2025-11-14). "Neon Acquires Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Sheep in the Box' for U.S., U.K. and Australia (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ "Sheep in the Box". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- ↑ "Sheep in the Box". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Sheep in the Box". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
