Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired the distribution rights for Sheep In The Box, the latest feature film from the celebrated Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda. The deal covers theatrical distribution across the UK and Ireland. The announcement comes directly after the film’s high-profile debut in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
The acquisition sees Picturehouse partnering once again with international sales agents Goodfellas and the US distributor Neon. Neon has locked in its American theatrical launch for 24 July 2026, starting in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out nationwide.
A Technological Substitute for Grief
Koreeda won the prestigious Palme d’Or in 2018 for Shoplifters and previously found box-office success with Broker and Monster. His new project marks a distinct shift into speculative fiction, blending his characteristic focus on complicated domestic dynamics with near-future science fiction.
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The story takes place in a world where technology intersects directly with human mourning. Two years after the death of their young son, Kakeru, a grieving couple decides to utilise a specialised commercial service that rents advanced humanoid robots to bereaved families as replacements for deceased loved ones.
The film stars Haruka Ayase and Daigo as the parents, alongside newcomer Rimu Kuwaki as the humanoid child. While the mother immediately embraces the artificial clone, the father struggles to accept the machine. The presence of the robot gradually forces both parents to confront the unspoken wounds and deep regrets they carried after their initial loss.
A Return to Dreamlike Cinema
Film critics at Cannes noted that the movie represents a more dreamlike, surreal direction for the director. Commentators drew immediate thematic comparisons to Koreeda’s early 1998 classic After Life, which also used speculative premises to explore human memory and emotional catharsis.
Sara Frain, the managing director of Picturehouse Entertainment, expressed excitement about continuing their relationship with the filmmaker. Frain stated that the distributor takes great pride in bringing the title to British and Irish audiences, identifying the feature as one of the clear artistic standouts of the summer festival circuit.
The film is a joint production involving major Japanese media entities, including the Fuji Television Network, Gaga Corporation, Toho, and AOI Pro. Picturehouse will finalise the official UK cinema release dates later this year.
