Overview
- NEON released the film’s official U.S. trailer and poster and announced a limited New York and Los Angeles opening on July 24, 2026, with a wider nationwide rollout to follow.
- Sheep in the Box was written, directed, and edited by Hirokazu Kore‑eda and stars Haruka Ayase, Daigo Yamamoto, and Rimu Kuwaki with cinematography by Ryuto Kondo and a score by Yuta Bandoh.
- The story follows a grieving couple who bring a humanoid child into their home that is made to look and sound like their deceased son, a premise that avoids a gadget-driven dystopia in favor of an intimate family drama.
- The film premiered in Competition at Cannes 2026 and opened in Japan in May, and it was produced by Fuji Television, Gaga, Toho and AOI Pro with international sales handled by Gaga and Goodfellas.
- Kore‑eda says he was inspired by reporting about efforts to use generative AI to recreate the dead, and the film’s humanist tone makes it a likely touchstone in ongoing industry discussions about how AI shapes memory, mourning, and creative work.