Hirokazu Kore-eda’s ‘Sheep in the Box’ Starts Filming in Japan

It looks like we’ll be seeing a new film from Hirokazu Kore-eda next year.

The acclaimed Japanese filmmaker has begun production on his latest feature, “Sheep In The Box,” starring Ayase Haruka and Daigo. Ayase previously collaborated with Kore-eda on “Our Little Sister,” while Daigo — one of Japan’s most popular comedians — will be taking on his first leading role in a feature film.

Following his last feature, “Monster,” which premiered in competition at Cannes in 2023, “Sheep In The Box” is set in the near future, where a couple welcomes a state-of-the-art humanoid into their home to raise as their son.

Filming began earlier this month and is currently underway, with a festival premiere expected in 2026.

It should be mentioned that, earlier this year, out of nowhere, Netflix quietly dropped Kore-eda’s new series “Asura” onto its algorithm-driven platform — and then basically walked away from it. Despite receiving strong reviews (The Daily Beast even called it “the year’s first great new TV show”), the release came and went with virtually no promotion.

Kore-eda has been working for nearly three decades, building a body of acclaimed work that includes “After Life,” “Still Walking,” “Like Father, Like Son,” and “After the Storm.” He truly broke through internationally in 2018 when “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or.

Shoplifters” went on to gross $72 million worldwide — a true “I told you so” moment for Kore-eda’s longtime fans, who had been championing his work ever since his 1995 breakthrough, “Maborosi.”

While his ensuing films, “The Truth,” “Broker,” “Monster” couldn’t match that same level of acclaim as “Shoplifters,” all three films earned strong reviews and reaffirmed Kore-eda as one of the most consistent voices in contemporary world cinema.