NEED TO KNOW
Hugh Jackman is lending his talents to a humorous, wool-filled mystery in 2026.
On Thursday, Dec. 18, Amazon MGM Studios released the trailer for The Sheep Detectives, a murder mystery in which Jackman, 57, portrays a shepherd named George, “who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand,” as an official synopsis for the movie reads.
When George’s flock find him dead in the field one day they elect to use the information they have learned from detective stories to solve the crime themselves. “When a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives,” the synopsis adds. “As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.”
Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
Jackman costars in the movie with Succession’s Nicholas Braun, who portrays a hapless police officer investigating George’s murder, as well as Molly Gordon, Hong Chau and Emma Thompson. An ensemble of stars — including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein and Rhys Darby — also appear in the movie as the voices of George’s sheep, with Louis-Dreyfus, 64, leading the way as the sheep Lily.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
The Sheep Detectives is directed by Kyle Balda, best known for his work directing the Minions movies and Despicable Me 3. The movie is written by Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Craig Mazin (The Last of Us, Chernobyl). The new movie is among a number of upcoming projects Jackman stars in. His next movie Song Sung Blue releases in theaters on Dec. 25; he’s also expected to star in a movie titled The Death of Robin Hood, releasing June 2026.
The Sheep Detectives is in theaters May 8.
