Kyle Balda's The Sheep Detectives will hit theaters on May 8th, and the book to screen adaptation has a stellar cast helping to make the novel into a big screen adventure. That include live-action actors led by Hugh Jackman, as well as he A+ voice cast bringing the titular sheep to life. I had the chance to speak with them ahead of the movie's release, where I asked some hard hitting questions: could their pets solve their own murder?
The Sheep Detectives' trailer showed the CGI creatures that are on a mission to solve their shepherd's murder. They're led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Lily, and during our conversation the Seinfeld star addressed whether or not she would trust her dog to solve the mystery of her hypothetical murder. She responded resoundingly with:
First of all, you should know that my dog's name is George. And I would not trust him to solve a murder, I'm afraid. , um, uh, yeah, that's not gonna work out for us.
Honestly, that's relatable. I've had plenty of dogs in my life, but they weren't exactly the smartest animals I've ever met. Sure they had lots of love to give, but I'm not sure they had the intelligence or drive to try and solve a mystery. Maybe I need some sheep in my life.
Critical response to The Sheep Detectives has been quite positive, with the movie balancing laughs with a moving story about grief. It feels like the movie is a mix between Babe and the Knives Out franchise (the latter of which is streaming with a Netflix subscription). Actor Nicholas Braun plays bumbling cop Tim Derry in the film, and also didn't have much faith in his dog. As he told me:
You know, my dog is really sweet. But she's quiet and I need her to bark more sometimes. I need her to make a noise. Like if she wants to play with the ball, she's obsessed with, she's a drug addict for for a ball, any ball. And she just looks at it. Like, make a noise, show me how! So if she had a clue or something, I think I just need her to, I need to teach her how to bark.
I suggested that the Succession star keep a ball in his pocket at all times. At least then his dog might be incentivized to solve his murder if tragedy befell him. Although it's never going to have the keen strategic mind as Lily and the rest of The Sheep Detectives' fluffy characters.
Actor Chris O'Dowd voices Mopple, a Merino sheep who is one of the hearts of the movie. When I asked about his pets, he joked that one of them was actually able to commit a murder, rather than solve one. As he told me:
We have a cat who I think could commit one. Every morning he is on us, and he's at my wife's, he is obsessed with her. So he's just kind of lying or standing on her chest, kind of slapping her awake.
While I'm a dog person by nature, I love the way cats truly DGAF... especially when its time for them to be fed. That's exactly the case with O'Dowd's cat, who clearly has an affinity for his wife. Luckily he's also got dogs and even a tortoise, which honestly sounds like the perfect cast for a Sheep Detectives sequel.
The Sheep Detectives hits theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. I personally loved the movie, and would highly recommend seeing it in theaters... and bringing tissues. Trust me.
