Nicholas Braun knows a great script when he sees one.

As one of the stars of Succession, Saturday Night and Zola, Braun has a history of finding the right story to step into as a performer. But, when he was handed the script for The Sheep Detectives, he wasn’t sure what to expect at first.

“I was sent the script, just like any other script,” Braun recalls. “But my agent said, ‘I really hope you like this. It sounds a little weird—it’s about talking sheep solving the murder of their shepherd. I don’t know, just give it a read.’

But you know, Hugh was involved, Emma Thompson was attached, Lord & Miller were producing it. Kyle was directing it—he’s done very successful animated movies—so I was set up to like it. Then I started reading, and I felt like I’d never read anything like this. It’s so hard to pull off, I thought.”

(L to R) Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the voice of Lily and Hugh Jackman as George Hardy in THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, from Amazon MGM Studios.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Directed by Kyle Balda, The Sheep Detectives introduces us to George (Hugh Jackman), a hard-working but reclusive shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep before he goes to bed. To him, it’s a fun exercise that winds down his day but he knows its silly. (After all, they can’t possibly understand him, right?) However, after George mysteriously passes away, the sheep recognize the signs of foul play. With a keen eye for clues, they decide that they must conduct their own investigation to help out police officer Tim Derry (Braun), becoming the very detectives that George had coached them to be in the process.

Admittedly, the story sounds bizarre. After all, a story about barnyard animals bonding together to solve crimes doesn’t feel like the sort of script that garners attention. However, after reading it, Braun quickly realized that The Sheep Detectives is a very special film.

“The further I got into the script, the more I realized how well it hit different messages and made you care deeply about these characters, especially the Winter Lamb,” he continues. “I was just so impressed. And, obviously, the part itself is so fun—the character arc is fantastic. I called my agent right after and said, ‘Dude, the Winter Lamb crushed me. This movie is so good.’ I told him immediately that I loved it and wanted to move on it. I had to prove I could do a British accent before getting the part, so there was a hurdle, but I got there.”

(L to R) Regina Hall as the voice of Cloud, Chris O’Dowd as the voice of Mopple and Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the voice of Lily in THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, from Amazon MGM Studios.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

And truly, Braun’s instincts were correct. Though it earns its laughs with broad family comedy, The Sheep Detectives is also more than willing to engage in complicated emotional storylines. From issues like ‘the Winter Lamb’ to conversations surrounding death, Balda’s film tackles mature subject matter in an age-appropriate manner, a quality that genuinely appealed to Braun.

“We don’t [get many films like this]. People have compared it to The Lion King in terms of a character loss, which shows how long it’s been since a really devastating death happened in a kids’ film,” he realizes. “I’m really impressed with how Craig wrote this—able to go into all those levels and not shy away from the hardcore parts. We were at the premiere yesterday, and you could hear kids crying. And that’s okay—the movie makes kids cry. I mean, I cried when Mufasa died, right?

“But in our movie, so much good is learned from it. The Winter Lamb represents someone who feels excluded—minority groups, people with social anxiety, those struggling to find connection. There’s something heartbreaking about that as a character. The journey is moving, and I think everyone can relate. Especially now, the idea of including or excluding someone from a community is very relevant.”

(L to R) Chris O’Dowd as the voice of Mopple and Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the voice of Lily in THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, from Amazon MGM Studios.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

In this way, The Sheep Detectives isn’t sheepish about the need to be a part of a ‘flock’. As a symbol of community, the idea of belonging to a flock seems so simple yet also comes across as so powerful. Asked why he believes this is so important, Braun opens up, sharing his own struggles with feeling like he doesn’t belong at times.

Says Braun, “For me, having a flock—knowing a group of people love and accept you—is something I really identify with. Speaking as an actor, I shot my first movie at 11, and I’ve been in this career 25–26 years. There’s a lot of rejection and being told ‘no’ for no reason. You try to connect with people, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. You’re kind of a lone wolf moving from city to city, working with different people, often solo. So, it’s important to have a flock, and sometimes I don’t feel like I do.”

“I think this is relatable, especially now—with social media doom scrolling and the difficulty of meeting people. People are struggling to find connection; the idea of having a flock is really resonant.”

For full audio of our interview with Nicholas Braun, click here.

The Sheep Detectives is available in theatres on Friday, May 8th, 2026.