Three years after his last film, 2023’s “Monster,” Japanese Hirokazu Kore-eda is back with not one but two narrative features. First up? “Sheep In The Box,” a sci-fi drama about a humanoid robot, hits theaters in Japan on May 29. That release date hints at another Cannes Film Festival premiere for Kore-eda, and the eighth of his career.
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Kore-eda writes and directs “Sheep In The Box,” which stars Haruka Ayase, Daigo Yamamoto, and Kawaki Rimu. Set in the near future, the film centers on a couple who adopts a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son. Other cast includes Nana Seino, Kanichiro, Hinata Hiiragi, and Akihiro Kakuta.
Production companies on “Sheep In The Box” include Fuji Television Network, GAGA Corporation, Toho, and AOI Pro, with Toho distributing the film in Japan. NEON will handle the film’s US theatrical release; expect it in theaters this Fall.
Kore-eda’s other 2026 film is “Look Back,” an adaptation of the 2021 manga of the same name. The director also has another English-language film in the works at Searchlight, with Eddie Redmayne on board to star and produce. No word on what that one’s about yet, though.
Watch the Japanese trailer for “Sheep In The Box” below, and stay tuned for whether the film has its world premiere in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (where Kore-eda won the Palme d’Or and Jury Prize for “Shoplifters” in 2018).
