Director Hirokazu Kore-eda Takes on AI in Emotional New Drama ‘Sheep in the Box’

Acclaimed filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda is stepping into uncharted territory with his latest film, Sheep in the Box, a science fiction drama that explores grief through an unexpected lens. Distributor Neon released the trailer this week, giving audiences their first glimpse at what promises to be a deeply moving story about loss, technology, and family.

The film centers on a couple reeling from the death of their young son. Unable to move past their devastation, they make a controversial decision: bringing home an AI-powered humanoid designed to replicate their lost child. What they hope will ease their pain quickly becomes something far more complicated, forcing them to confront difficult questions about memory, humanity, and what separates people from machines.

Kore-eda has built his reputation on intimate, character-driven stories like Shoplifters and Monster, and Sheep in the Box follows that same blueprint. Rather than relying on flashy sci-fi effects, the director keeps the focus on quiet, emotionally charged moments that explore the messy reality of grief and recovery.

The cast includes Haruka Ayase and Daigo Yamamoto as the parents, with Rimu Kuwaki playing the AI child. The film already made waves at Cannes earlier this year, where it competed for the top prize.

Neon, which has worked with Kore-eda before, will bring the film to theaters across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia starting July 24. The studio is banking on audiences hungry for smart, character-driven science fiction that asks big questions about technology and humanity.