Overview
- Kore-eda said he will fight to keep a person involved in each step of filmmaking, warning that AI threatens actors and the craft.
- 'Sheep in the Box' plays in competition at Cannes and centers on parents offered a humanoid replica of their 7-year-old son.
- He voiced empathy for people who wish to reconnect with lost loved ones yet said AI replicas raise concerns about consent and memory.
- Early coverage frames the film as modest speculative fiction that invites comparison to Steven Spielberg's A.I. rather than big-tech spectacle.
- The cast includes Ayase Haruka, Daigo Yamamoto, and Rimu Kuwaki, with Toho, Aoi Pro Inc, and Fuji Television backing a December 16, 2026 theatrical release.