Live-Action "Three Bags-Full " :

[jo]

From "The Hollywood Reporter"

MOVIES
MOVIE NEWS

Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson to Star in Sheep Detective Comedy ‘Three Bags Full’
'The Last of Us' creator Craig Mazin penned the project that also stars Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine and Molly Gordon.


BY MIA GALUPPO

JUNE 7, 2024 9:15AM
Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson

Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson CINDY ORD/MG24/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE MET MUSEUM/VOGUE; MIKE MARSLAND/WIREIMAGE

Amazon MGM is planning a sheep detective comedy with a baaaaaA-list ensemble cast, including Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, and Hong Chau.

Tosin Cole, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill and Mandeep Dhillon are also set for the feature, titled Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie.

Three Bags Full is a live-action comedy about a shepherd (Jackman) who dies under mysterious circumstances, leaving his flock of sheep to solve the case. The synopsis for the film adds: “The local cop Tim Derry (Braun), on the other hand, has never solved a serious crime in his life, so the sheep conclude they will have to solve it themselves, even if it means leaving their meadow for the first time and facing the fact that the human world isn’t as simple as it appears in books.”


Chornobyl and The Last of Us writer Craig Mazin penned the screenplay based on Leonie Swann’s bestseller of the same name. Minions helmer Kyle Balda will direct.

Lindsay Doran will produce with Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Executive producers are Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Aditya Sood, and Tim Wellspring.

Principal photography on the feature has already begun, with Amazon planning an exclusive worldwide theatrical release dating the film for Feb. 20, 2026.

How is this live-action?

Working Title co-produced Les Miserables.

Jo

[jo]

From Deadline --

Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine & More To Star In Amazon MGM Comedy ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’
By Matt Grobar


June 7, 2024 9:15am

Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Conleth Hill, Tosin Cole, Hong Chau and Molly Gordon
(Clockwise from top left) Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Conleth Hill, Tosin Cole, Hong Chau and Molly Gordon
Ben Watts; Nick Haddow; Getty Images; William Henry Thompson; Justin Bishop; Elias Tahan

Amazon MGM Studios has locked in a starry cast for Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie, a live-action comedy directed by animation veteran Kyle Balda (Minions: The Rise of Gru).

Hugh Jackman (The Greatest Showman) leads an ensemble that also includes Emma Thompson (Matilda the Musical), Nicholas Braun (Succession), Nicholas Galitzine (The Idea of You), Molly Gordon (Theater Camp), Hong Chau (The Whale), Tosin Cole (Supacell), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Wonka), Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) and Mandeep Dhillon (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker).


An adaptation of Leonie Swann’s international bestseller, scripted by Craig Mazin (The Last of Us), the film follows George Hardy (Jackman), a shepherd who loves his sheep and raises them only for their wool. Every night he reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand, never suspecting that not only can they understand but they argue for hours afterwards about whodunnit. When George is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it. The local cop Tim Derry (Braun), on the other hand, has never solved a serious crime in his life, so the sheep conclude they will have to solve it themselves, even if it means leaving their meadow for the first time and facing the fact that the human world isn’t as simple as it appears in books.


Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie will be produced by Lindsay Doran and Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Executive producers are Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Aditya Sood, and Tim Wellspring. Pic’s slated for release exclusively in theaters worldwide on February 20, 2026.

Marking Swann’s debut novel, Three Bags Full was published in Germany in 2005 under its original title Glennkill. The book became an instant hit, leading the German bestseller charts for months and winning Swann the prestigious Glauser Prize for crime fiction in the debut category, as well as a PETA Award. The author has published seven books in total, including several more murder mysteries.

Best known for his work on such hit animated features as Minions: The Rise of Gru, Despicable Me 3 and Minions, Balda with Three Bags Full makes his live-action feature debut.


Known for creating, co-writing, and executive producing HBO’s The Last of Us alongside Neil Druckmann, Mazin prior to that created, wrote and produced the premium cabler’s Emmy-winning miniseries Chernobyl. Before breaking out in drama, he was primarily known for his writing on such comedic features as Scary Movie 3 & 4, The Hangover Part II & III, and Identity Thief.

Jackman is repped by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Thompson by Hamilton Hodell and CAA; Braun by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Galitzine by the U.K.’s Curtis Brown Group, WME, Anonymous Content, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer; Gordon by WME and Gang, Tyre, Ramer; Chau by CAA and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Cole by Curtis Brown, CAA, Sherpa, and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Cole; Holdbrook-Smith by Independent Talent and ColorCreative; Hill by B-Side Management and Kipperman Management; Dhillon by CAA and Conway Van Gelder; Mazin by CAA and attorney Gretchen Rush; Swann by Agentur Poppenhusen, in cooperation with Created By and Paul & Peter Fritz AG; and Balda by UTA and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols.

[jo]

From Variety --

Film
News
Jun 7, 2024 9:15am PT

‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie,’ Starring Hugh Jackman, Gets February 2026 Release Date From Amazon MGM Studios

By Katcy Stephan

Plus Icon

Amazon MGM Studios’ “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie” has wrapped principal photography and landed a worldwide theatrical release date of Feb. 20, 2026.

The live-action comedy stars Hugh Jackman, flanked by an ensemble cast including Emma Thompson (“Matilda the Musical”), Nicholas Braun (“Succession”), Nicholas Galitzine (“The Idea of You”), Molly Gordon (“Theater Camp”), Hong Chau (“The Whale”), Tosin Cole (“Till”), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Wonka”), Conleth Hill (“Game of Thrones”) and Mandeep Dhillon (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”).

The film follows George Hardy (Jackman), a shepherd who loves his sheep and raises them only for their wool. Every night he reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand, never suspecting that not only can they understand, but they argue for hours afterwards about whodunnit.



When George is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it. The local cop Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), on the other hand, has never solved a serious crime in his life, so the sheep conclude they will have to solve it themselves, even if it means leaving their meadow for the first time and facing the fact that the human world isn’t as simple as it appears in books.

Kyle Balda is directing the film, which will be produced by Lindsay Doran and Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Executive producers are Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Aditya Sood and Tim Wellspring. Craig Mazin wrote the screenplay, which is based on Leonie Swann’s 2005 international bestseller.

Balda, known for directing “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” “Despicable Me 3” and “Minions” as well as co-directing “The Lorax,” makes his live-action feature directorial debut with “Three Bags Full.”

Mazin is best known for creating, writing and producing the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl” and co-creating, co-writing and executive producing the HBO series “The Last of Us.” He has won two Primetime Emmy Awards. Before his work on drama shows gained widespread attention, he was primarily known for his writing work on comedy films such as “Scary Movie 3,” “Scary Movie 4,” “The Hangover Part II,” “The Hangover Part III” and “Identity Thief.”


Balda’s creative collaborators on “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie” include director of photography George Steel, production designer Suzie Davies, costume designer Rosa Dias, hair and make-up designer Sharon Martin and editor Paul Machliss. Graham Page is the visual effects supervisor and George’s flock of sheep will be created by Framestore.

More...

[jo]

Two things confound me at this moment --

*This is supposed to be LIVE-ACTION!

("Unlike animation, live action involves the photography of actors and actresses, as well as sets and props making the movie seem personal and as close to reality as possible.")


Is Hugh supposed to be seen as a sheep? Lol!

And there are many actors involved... how will they be represented here?


*Why did Variety report that principal photography has been finished?

When did Hugh film it? He is in England now -- but how long has he been there? How long did it take to complete principal photography?

Or will the live actors be seen only at the outset...and when it is the turn of the sheep to solve the mystery, then animation takes over??


Is a puzzlement!


Jo

[jo]

*One possibility is this is voice acting work for the real actors?

*But there is this suggestion :

Filmfect
@filmfect

Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, & Hong Chau will star in ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’

The film follows a herd of sheep who enter the human world to solve the murder of their shepherd

[jo]

From Playlist --

HomeNews
Three Bags Full cast
‘Three Bags Full’: Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholaus Braun, Nicholas Galitzine & More In Amazon MGM’s Sheep Detective Movie
Ned Booth June 7, 2024 12:59 pm News

A murder mystery involving sheep detectives? It may end up one of Amazon MGM‘s biggest hits in 2026. Deadline reports that the studio has their cast lined for up “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie,” a live-action comedy helmed by “Minions” vet Kyle Balda. And this cast is a whopper, so don’t be surprised if this one ends up as popular as a “Knives Out” mystery.


Hugh Jackman leads an ensemble that includes Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, and Molly Gordon. Hong Chau, Tosin Cole, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill, and Mandeep Dhillon round out the main cast. So, a couple A-listers with buzzy up-and-comers mixed in; that’s not a bad group for this murder mystery.


But what is “Three Bags Full” about? Based on Leonie Swann‘s 2005 international bestseller and Glauser Award winner “Glennkill,” the movie follows Jackman’s shepherd George Hardy, whose intimate relationship with his pasture involves reading them mystery stories aloud. Little does George know that his sheep are actually cognizant, and bicker about the whodunnit for hours when he’s not around. But when George dies suddenly, his flock recognizes someone killed him and try and solve his murder.

The only problem is, well, they’re sheep. As a bumbling local cop tries to (solve) the mystery, the sheep group up and leave their meadow in pursuit of justice, only to realize real life is a lot different than the detective fiction they’re used to. “The Last Of Us” showrunner Craig Mazin adapts Swann’s novel for the big screen. Lindsay Doran produces the film with Working Title‘s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Phil Lord and Chris Miller lead executive producers, with Aditya Sood and Tim Wellspring. Amazon MGM has “Three Bigs Full” slated for a February 20, 2026 theatrical release; not a premier date, but one that should attract an audience.

“Three Bags Full” will be Balda’s live-action debut directing-wise. And while Jackman and Thompson are the big names here, this is a good vehicle for the likes of Braun, Galitzine, Gordon, and Chau, four actors poised to break out further in the next couple of years. Of course, no shade to other up-and-comers like Cole, Holdbrook-Smith, and Dhillon there, and it’s always a pleasure to see Hill onscreen.

So will “Three Bags Full” be a winner for Amazon MGM? If Leonie Swann’s book is any indication, why didn’t a movie studio adapt this one sooner? As noted earlier, Balda’s film hits theater on February 20, 2026.

[jo]

From JoBlo --

The film will be produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title, as well as Lindsay Doran. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, and Tim Wellspring will executive produce. The film will be released exclusively in theaters on February 20, 2026.

[njr]

A shame Hugh will only be seen briefly since he dies in the beginning of the film!
Guess we’ll just have to see if they use real sheep with voice-overs (that would be my bet)

Nancy

[jo]

Nick Galitzine Instagram -- they are actually filming now.

(I guess that is the reason why we have seen Hugh in England in the last week-and-a-half or so -- since that photo where he is wearing an orange jacket - posted May 27)... that would have been the latest -- he might have been in England even earlier.

The blitz of publicity for Deadpool&Wolverine might have been ready way before?

http://instagram.com/p/C77EgMOohcF

[jo]

Lol - so much crazy excitement on social media.

x.com/i/status/1799253051733164064


Trying to figure out if it is LIVE ACTION or what??

[jo]

A description on the bestseller book on Amazon.com --

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story Paperback – June 3, 2008
by Leonie Swann (Author), Anthea Bell (Translator)



4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 538 ratings 3.7 on Goodreads 13,608 ratings


INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A witty philosophical murder mystery with a charming twist: the crack detectives are sheep determined to discover who killed their beloved shepherd

“Delightfully different . . . The combination of sly humor and naiveté makes this novel a surprising and refreshing read.”—Boston Globe

“Swann produces a clever spin on the ol’ whodunit . . . the result: a delightfully offbeat yarn.”—Entertainment Weekly

On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, the members of the flock gather around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared for the sheep, reading them a plethora of books every night. The daily exposure to literature has made them far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George’s killer.

The A-team of investigators includes Othello, the “bad-boy” black ram; Mopple the Whale, a merino who eats a lot and remembers everything; and Zora, a pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for abysses. Joined by other members of the richly talented flock, they engage in nightlong discussions about the crime and wild metaphysical speculations, and they embark on reconnaissance missions into the village, where they encounter some likely suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher; Rebecca, a village newcomer with a secret and a scheme; Gabriel, the shady shepherd of a very odd flock; and Father Will, a sinister priest. Along the way, the sheep confront their own all-too-human struggles with guilt, misdeeds, and unrequited love.

With sheer wit and spunk, this international bestseller has become a darling to two- and four-legged fans alike. Funny, fresh, and endearing, it introduces a wonderful breed of detectives to American readers.

[jo]

This is puzzling -- needs to be solved as a mystery!

Is principal photography done?

But IMDB lists it as in Pre-Production!

One of the trade paper reported that principal photography has been completed?
(Per Variety: "Amazon MGM Studios’ “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie” has wrapped principal photography and landed a worldwide theatrical release date of Feb. 20, 2026.")

Jo


PS But Nick Galitzine posted on social media that they are enjoying filming this movie now.

[jo]

x.com/i/status/1799344315279569146

[jo]

More details ( via Wikipedia) --

Three Bags Full

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story (original German title: Glennkill: Ein Schafskrimi) is 2005 novel by Leonie Swann. It is a detective story featuring a flock of anthropomorphic Irish sheep out to solve the murder of their shepherd. Written originally in German, the novel became an international bestseller, and has been translated into more than 30 languages.[1]


Plot and characters

You can help expand this section with text translated from the corresponding article in German. Click [show] for important translation instructions.

Plot

In the Irish village of Glenkill, George Glenn is a shepherd who is a loner, estranged from his wife, and is fond only of his sheep. Every day, after he lets them out to graze, he reads to them from romance adventure novels and textbooks on sheep diseases. At the start of the book, the sheep find George dead, pinned to the ground by a spade. The rattled sheep decide that they must find his killer. This turns into a difficult task, as sheep can’t talk to people; and though they understand the human conversations they listen in on, like the one between George’s widow Kate and Bible-basher Beth Jameson, they do not always understand the details. Not even the smartest of them, Miss Maple, Othello and Mopple the Whale, can understand the humans' behaviour, and are particularly confused by the neighbourhood priest, though they conclude that his name is evidently God. They are afraid to confront suspects like butcher Abraham Rackham, and are suspicious but fearful of their new shepherd Gabriel O’Rourke, who is raising a flock of sheep for slaughter. And even after a series of providential discoveries and brainwaves reveals the answer to the mystery, they still have to figure out how to let the humans know.


Characters

Sheep

Miss Maple: Known as the smartest sheep in Glenkill, she leads the investigation into George's death.

Sir Ritchfield: Head ram, sometimes seems to have a wandering mind. Forgets things easily especially when worked up over something.

Othello: The literal black sheep of the flock, is somewhat mysterious. He hasn't been with the flock long, and hints at a dark and troubled past.

Mopple the Whale: A merino who remembers everything, and likes to eat.

Zora: A pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for clouds and abysses.

Melmoth: Sir Ritchfield's long-lost twin brother.


Humans
Below is a list of notable human characters and their roles. Contains plot details.

George Glenn: Is the shepherd of the flock. He is lonely, depressed, suicidal and feels lost. George is married to Kate and has a mistress, Lily. George has an adult daughter, Rebecca; but he has no relationship with her. Before his death, he wrote a letter to Rebecca. George is a drug trafficker. He uses the sheep as mules to transport marijuana. Unlike the townspeople, George is not interested in expanding the tourist market in his town of Glenkill. With his friend Ham the butcher, George discovered the dead body of McCarthy.

Kate: Once caught in a love triangle between George and the butcher Ham, Kate married George. She gained weight after marriage. Ham continues to love her and pine for her.

Beth Jameson: A devout Christian who lives alone. Beth tells Rebecca that George was never her boyfriend. She left Glenkill for a mission in Africa; and, when she returned, everything had changed. An anxious woman, Beth smells bad to the sheep. After George's sheep reenact his murder at the Mad Boar Pub, Beth speaks to the audience and reveals that George came to her before his death. George told Beth his plans of suicide. After his suicide, Beth drove the spade through his body, as George requested.

Abraham Rackham (Ham): the local butcher and one of George's few friends. Together with George, he discovered the body of McCarthy. Ham loves George's wife, Kate, and installs cameras at his shop so that he can record the moments when she visits his shop. One misty day after George's death Ham tries to steal a sheep from George's flock, falls off a cliff and is paralyzed.

Father William: The sheep name Father William 'God.' He sees the sheep around town and in his church conducting their investigation and becomes very fearful of them.

Inspector Holmes: An ineffective investigator. He does not solve George's murder case, or the McCarthy murder case.

Gabriel: A shepherd with a flock of sheep raised for mutton. George's sheep like him at first and consider him to be a good shepherd, but learn that he is not a very good shepherd. Gabriel is motivated by money.

Josh Baxter: The landlord of the Mad Boar pub. Josh Baxter is interested in expanding the tourist trade in Glenkill because he will benefit financially.

Tom O'Malley: An alcoholic who finds the dead body of George the shepherd. During the smartest sheep contest, Tom is drunk and correctly understands that George's sheep are acting out his murder.

The 'Master Hunter': This character is never named by the author, or the human characters in the story. The sheep recognize his smell and call him the master hunter. He may be involved with drug trafficking.

Rebecca: George's daughter. Her mother is not revealed. She volunteers to take the flock of sheep to Europe and because the sheep choose her over Gabriel, she inherits the flock and shepherding duties. Before his death, George sent her a letter. She intentionally delayed a reply and regretted that decision after his death.


Themes
Largely humorous in character, the novel displays a strong knowledge of sheep behavior, biology, husbandry and breeds (the merino and hebridean are present, among others).[2][3] Using the perspective of the flock, Swann makes comedic jabs at human character and institutions.[4][5]

[jo]

As this will be an adaptation -- presumably some changes in the plot and maybe even the characters may be expected.

What happens to the character of George ( supposedly portrayed by HJ)? Is he just a character at the beginning... or is there an expansion of that role later? Will he assume the character of a sheep?

Hmmm....

Jo

[jo]

Fans of Nick Galitzine ( who co-starred in that movie with Anne Hathaway) think he can benefit from some mentorship from Hugh when they co-star in Three Bags Full --

They think he has a similar starting background ( he has done some singing) and is now cast in quite a few roles due to his fast-rising popularity. He is part-Greek and British. Hugh has some Greek heritage and while born & raised in Australia is of British parentage.

🌈
@bourdainstalker
·
27m
Nicholas Galitzine can probably get alot of good advice from Hugh Jackman. IYKYK

Film Updates
@filmupdates
·
19h
Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Galitzine, Conleth Hill, Tosin Cole, Hong Chau and Molly Gordon to star in ‘THREE BAGS FULL: A SHEEP DETECTIVE’.

Follows sheeps solving the murder mystery of their shepherd.

(https://deadline.com/2024/06/three-bags-full-hugh-jackman-to-star-in-amazon-mgm-movie-1235961378/)

Ngoc Ha
@jyj_honey
·
21m
What is this tea about Hugh Jackman?



JoAB
@joab46466753
·
14m
Hugh Jackman has an enviable career path.With degrees in dramatic theatre&journalism giving him strong insights on human nature,HJ has explored roles in many genres (action/drama/musicals/darkcomedy/comcom/sci-fi). He has also developed a career on both film&stage(Bway&London).


JoAB
@joab46466753
HJ has also tested the concert stage (90-show music tour across Eur/USA/Aus/NZ/others) & has hosted the Oscars & the Tonys.

[jo]

From the set --



I'm guessing -- it looks like instead of reading them murder mysteries, "George" will perform the stories!


Yay


Here we go --

www.justjared.com/2024/06/13/hugh-jackman-gets-into-character-in-first-three-bags-full-set-photos/

[jo]

Putting on a show --

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

They are real sheep??

[jo]