Hirokazu Kore-eda’s AI Family Drama ‘Sheep in the Box’ Earns 3.5-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes

Naman Ramachandran· May 16, 2026 · 3:27 PM UTC ·3 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 37 views

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Hirokazu Kore-eda's film 'Sheep in the Box' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving a 3.5-minute standing ovation. The story explores themes of parenthood and grief as a couple welcomes a humanoid child after losing their son. This marks Kore-eda's return to Cannes after his previous success with 'Monster' in 2023.

Key facts

▪'Sheep in the Box' is set in near-future Japan and focuses on a grieving couple.
▪The film features actors Ayase Haruka and Yamamoto Daigo as the couple.
▪Kore-eda has a long history with Cannes, having won multiple awards over the years.

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2 outlets in our directory ran this story. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: lean left. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.

Lean left · 1

▪ Cannes: Hirokazu Kore-eda’s ‘Sheep in the Box’ Premieres to Warm Reception — The Hollywood Reporter

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Variety · Naman Ramachandran

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Original publisher	Variety
Canonical URL	https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/hirokazu-koreeda-sheep-in-the-box-cannes-ovation-1236741522/
Publication time	Sat, 16 May 2026 15:27:59 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-05-16T15:40:18.968Z
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

Home Film Festivals May 16, 2026 8:27am PT Hirokazu Kore-eda’s AI Family Drama ‘Sheep in the Box’ Earns 3.5-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes By Naman Ramachandran Plus Icon Naman Ramachandran Latest ‘Mask’ and ‘Eraser’ Director Chuck Russell, Higgsfield Team for AI-Driven Sci-Fi Features ‘Hyperia’ and ‘b’ (EXCLUSIVE) 3 hours ago Olga Kurylenko Leads Action Thriller ‘The Cop and the Assassin’ as All Rights Entertainment Takes Sales (EXCLUSIVE) 5 hours ago Inside the Race to Restore John Abraham’s Cannes Classics Film ‘Amma Ariyan’ Before It Was Lost for Good 5 hours ago See All Getty Images Hirokazu Kore-eda’s near-future drama “Sheep in the Box,” in which a grieving couple welcomes a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son, premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday…

Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Variety.

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