The Sheep Detectives might just be one ofthe most innovative films this year. On paper, a whodunit where the investigators are sheep sounds like the kind of pitch that gets laughed out of a studio meeting. but in practice, it’s all set to become one of the most warmly received films of 2026 so far. A big part of why it works is the sheer quality of the people involved both on screen and behind the microphone. This is a cast list full of A-listers and people we have loved watching on screen. Here’s who’s in it, who they’re playing, and why their voice may sound familiar to you.
Everyone who brought The Sheep Detectives to life
Hugh Jackman as George Hardy
George is the emotional centre of The Sheep Detectives, which is impressive given that he’s dead before the story properly kicks off. Jackman plays a shepherd who lovingly tends to his large flock and is determined never to send any of them to slaughter. Every night he reads them detective novels, which turns out to be a rather consequential habit.
Jackman’s career is extensive and impressive, from his iconic role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise to his work on films like The Greatest Showman, Les Misérables, The Prestige, Prisoners. He has also done stage work as a brilliant Broadway star. This is a man with many talents, and his quirky roles are just one of the best things about him.
Emma Thompson as Lydia Harbottle
Thompson plays George’s lawyer, who turns up bearing his recently revised will and the bombshell revelation that this apparently modest shepherd was secretly worth $30 million, which gives the murder a very clear financial motive and the plot a proper jolt of energy.
Thompson has been one of British cinema’s biggest stars for more than three decades, with her work in films like Howards End, Love Actually, Sense and Sensibility, the Harry Potter series, and Cruella.
Nicholas Braun as Tim Derry
Nicholas Braun is its comic spinefor The Sheep Detectives. He plays a pratfalling local inspector Clouseau who the sheep eventually decide they need to assist because waiting for him to crack the case is simply not an option. Braun is best known internationally for playing Cousin Greg in HBO’s Succession, where he spent four seasons being simultaneously the most hapless and most dangerous person in the room.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lily (voice)
Lily is the sheep George loved most, the one he called the smartest in his flock, and the one hit hardest by his death. George cared for Lily more than any other animal on the farm, and she’s the one who hangs on every word of his nightly readings.
Louis-Dreyfus is one of the most decorated comedic performers in television history, with seven Emmy wins for Veep alone, plus her iconic run on Seinfeld and film work including Enough Said and You Hurt My Feelings.
Patrick Stewart as Sir Ritchfield
Sir Ritchfield is the oldest ram in the flock in The Sheep Detectives. He is dignified, ancient, and carrying the kind of authority that comes from simply having been around longer than anyone else. Stewart was announced as part of the voice cast in April 2025, joining a lineup that also includes Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Brett Goldstein, and Bella Ramsey.
Stewart’s career needs no introduction. From Star Trek: The Next Generation to X-Men to Logan to countless stage productions, he has had an iconic career.
Nicholas Galitzine as Elliot Matthews
Elliot is the human character who arrives in the village for entirely unrelated reasons and ends up drawn into something far more complicated than a country arts festival. He’s a news reporter who shows up to cover the local arts festival but sticks around after George’s death, becoming part of the investigation almost by accident.
Galitzine he broke through internationally with Purple Hearts, then landed leading roles in Red, White & Royal Blue and The Idea of You.
Bryan Cranston as Sebastian (voice)
Sebastian is another important part of the flock and Bryan Cranston voicing him means this must be a pretty important character for The Sheep Detectives. Cranston has spent his career playing men navigating impossible situations with varying degrees of moral collapse, Walter White in Breaking Bad remains one of the most studied performances in television history, and his film work across Argo, Trumbo (for which he received an Academy Award nomination), and Asteroid City only expands his talent.
Bella Ramsey as Miss Maple (voice)
Miss Maple is the brains of the entire operation. Sharp, observant, and several steps ahead of every human in the village, she is essentially the film’s second protagonist.
Ramsay first became widely known as the fierce, scene-stealing Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, then delivered one of the most emotionally complex lead performances in recent television as Ellie in The Last of Us, a role that earned them widespread critical acclaim and a dedicated global fanbase.
Who else stars in The Sheep Detective?
The supporting cast for The Sheep Detectives is star studded and includes,
- Molly Gordon as Rebecca Hampstead, George’s daughter
- Tosin Cole as Caleb, a fellow shepherd
- Hong Chau as Beth Pennock
- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Reverend Hillcoate, priest
- Conleth Hill as Ham Gilyard, butcher
- Mandeep Dhillon as Postwoman Jo
- Chris O’Dowd as Mopple, a Merino sheep
- Regina Hall as Cloud, a North Country Cheviot sheep
- Brett Goldstein as Reggie and Ronnie, twin Norfolk Horn sheep
- Rhys Darby as Wool-Eyes, a Lincoln Longwool sheep
The Sheep Detectives will be in theaters on May 8, 2026.
Edited by Nibir Konwar