Kore-eda's 'Sheep in the Box' receives ovation

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Sheep in the Box” premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16 and drew a standing ovation after the screening, according to trade coverage from Cannes. Variety reported the ovation lasted 3.5 minutes, while The Hollywood Reporter described it as five minutes. Festival de Cannes lists the film as a 126-minute Japanese feature in the main competition. The premiere returned Kore-eda to Cannes competition three years after “Monster” won the festival’s screenplay prize in 2023. ### Why are there two different ovation times? Variety, in a report published May 16 from Cannes, said “Sheep in the Box” received a 3.5-minute standing ovation. The Hollywood Reporter, in separate May 16 coverage, said the response lasted five minutes. Cannes ovation timings are often reported by trade outlets rather than by the festival itself, and different publications can clock the same room differently. (hollywoodreporter.com) Festival de Cannes’ own materials for the premiere confirm the May 16 red-carpet event and the film’s place in official selection, but do not publish an ovation length. (variety.com) ### What is “Sheep in the Box” about? Festival de Cannes says the film is set in the near future and follows Otone and her husband Kensuke after the loss of their child. The couple are offered a humanoid robot identical to their son, according to the festival synopsis. Variety described the film as a near-future drama in which a grieving couple welcomes a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son. (festival-cannes.com) The cast listed by Cannes includes Haruka Ayase as Otone, Daigo as Kensuke and Rimu Kuwaki as Komoto Kakeru. ### Who is in the film and who is handling release? Festival de Cannes credits Kore-eda as director and lists Ryuto Kondo for screenplay and dialogue, Takuya Okada for cinematography and Yuta Bandoh for editing. (festival-cannes.com) The festival page identifies Gaga Corporation as producer, Le Pacte as distributor and Goodfellas for foreign sales. Variety reported in November 2025 that Neon acquired U.S., U.K. and Australian rights to the film and planned a nationwide U.S. release. (variety.com) That report said the producers include Fuji Television Network, Gaga Corporation, Toho and AOI Pro. ### How does this fit into Kore-eda’s Cannes history? Variety said “Sheep in the Box” marks Kore-eda’s return to the Croisette for the first time since “Monster” won best screenplay in 2023. (festival-cannes.com) The outlet also noted that Kore-eda’s Cannes record includes best actor for “Nobody Knows” in 2004, the Jury Prize for “Like Father, Like Son” in 2013, the Palme d’Or for “Shoplifters” in 2018 and prizes for “Broker” in 2022. (variety.com) The November 2025 acquisition report from Variety also tied the new film to Neon’s earlier work with Kore-eda on “Broker.” That film premiered at Cannes in 2022 and won the Ecumenical Jury Award and best actor for Song Kang-ho, according to the report. ### What does the Cannes listing show about the premiere? Festival de Cannes published red-steps coverage for “Sheep in the Box” on May 16 and identified the event as part of the 79th edition of the festival. (variety.com) The festival dates shown on the site are May 12 to May 23, 2026. The official film page lists “Sheep in the Box” in competition, not in a side section. (variety.com) Cannes is scheduled to continue screenings and events through May 23, when the festival is expected to announce this year’s competition awards, including the Palme d’Or. (festival-cannes.com 1) (festival-cannes.com 2)