Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda has begun production on his latest feature film, *Sheep In The Box*, starring Ayase Haruka and Daigo. Ayase Haruka, who previously starred in Kore-eda’s *Our Little Sister*, reunites with the director for this project. Daigo, one of Japan’s leading comedians, takes on his first-ever leading role in a feature film with this project.
Following their collaboration on Kore-eda’s last feature, *Monster*, which premiered in the Cannes competition, *Sheep In The Box* will be sold internationally by Japan’s Gaga and France-based Goodfellas. Gaga is handling Asian territories as well as North American sales in collaboration with Goodfellas. Meanwhile, Goodfellas will manage sales for Europe, the Middle East, CIS countries, Oceania, Latin America, and Africa.
Written and directed by Kore-eda, *Sheep In The Box* is set in the near future. The story follows a couple who takes in a state-of-the-art humanoid robot as their son.
“This project began with the idea of bringing the dead back to life using the latest technology,” Kore-eda explains. “A few years ago, similar concepts had already been featured on Japanese television programs and attracted considerable attention. I was interested in exploring the conflicting perspectives regarding how technological advancement clashes with human inner values.”
He adds, “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 realize that such developments could occur in Japan as well. With technology evolving at a pace far beyond what I had imagined, I felt that this reality might arrive sooner than expected.”
The film is being produced by Gaga in collaboration with Fuji Television Network, Toho, and AOI Pro. Toho will also handle distribution in Japan.
The title, *Sheep In The Box*, draws inspiration from the world-famous French children’s novel *The Little Prince*.
Filming started earlier this month and is currently underway. The film is expected to be released in Japan in 2026.
https://deadline.com/2025/09/hirokazu-kore-eda-sheep-in-the-box-gaga-goodfellas-1236563645/
