Sheep in the Box
2026 film by Hirokazu Koreeda
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
- Haruka Ayase
- Daigo Yamamoto
- Rimu Kuwaki
| 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 |
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| Distributed by | Toho |
Release dates |
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Running time | 127 minutes[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Box office | $4.4 million[2] |
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
- 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
Japanese cinematographer Ryûto Kondô shot the film on 35mm,[6] marking his third collaboration with Koreeda following Shoplifters (2018) and Monster (2023).
Release
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]
In late 2025, Neon acquired the film's rights for the for U.S., U.K. and Australia.[9]
Reception
Box office
It grossed $4.2 million at the worldwide box office. Including $3.7 million at the Japanese box office.[10]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 47% of 38 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. 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."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[12]
