Hugh Jackman’s new mystery comedy film ‘The Sheep Detectives’ opened to a surprise successful first weekend in cinemas.
Jackman, known for multiple major roles (‘Les Misérables’, ‘The Greatest Showman’, Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ films) stars as George, a gentle shepherd who routinely reads detective novels to his flock of sheep.
When George is found dead, the intelligent flock have to use their detective training to crack the case and outsmart local authorities.
A star-studded flock
Jackman is not the only major name attached to the countryside comedy, with Emma Thompson appearing as George’s lawyer.
The British actress and writer is known for her work in major franchises like ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Men in Black’ and ‘Nanny McPhee’, and an otherwise commendable career.
The voice cast of sheep is particularly stacked, featuring Julia Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart and Regina Hall, amongst others.
Production details
The film is directed by Kyle Balda, whose previous films include ‘The Lorax’ (2012) and several of Illumination’s ‘Minions’ films.
The story is based on the 2005 novel ‘Three Bags Full’ by Leonie Swann.
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A successful opening weekend
The film’s cinematic release was followed by an extremely positive reception.
Despite releasing alongside ‘Mortal Kombat II’ and the ongoing ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘Michael’, ‘The Sheep Detectives’ opened to $28 million internationally.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics score and audience score are 93% and 96% respectively.
On IMDb, the film has a 7.7 and is reported as “genuinely enjoyable” and “delightful and fun”.
Many Letterboxd reviewers have commended the film’s emotional story, with one claiming it as “their new comfort movie”.
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John Christopher Aquino 
Simon Wilkes 
Newsjustnews writers