Sleuthing sheep charm Chinese moviegoers

Nineteen years ago, producer Lindsay Doran was chatting with her doctor about the books they were reading when the doctor mentioned a novel about "a shepherd who is murdered and the sheep who solve the crime".

Doran, a veteran producer whose filmmaking career spans four decades, immediately sensed cinematic potential. The book was Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story, written by German novelist Leonie Swann. First published in 2005, the novel became an international bestseller. It was later translated into English and over 30 other languages, and its publishing rights were sold in over 20 countries.

What fascinated Doran most was not simply the mystery itself, but the imaginative inner world created for the sheep. In the novel, sheep can choose to forget unpleasant memories and display prejudice toward a lamb born out of season. "The story was even richer than I'd imagined," Doran recalled, describing her early impressions of the book.

After years of development, the adaptation finally arrived on screens as The Sheep Detectives, which opened across the Chinese mainland on May 16 and became the highest-grossing foreign film of the weekend.

The movie blends comedy and mystery with an unconventional premise. George, played by actor Hugh Jackman, is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his flock every night, believing the animals could not possibly understand him. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep decide to investigate the case themselves. Following clues and observing the surrounding humans, the unlikely detectives gradually prove that sheep may be more perceptive than anyone expects.

The film's Mandarin-dubbed version features voices from actress Ma Sichun, actor Sha Yi, and comedian Guo Hongze. Ma, best known for the award-winning film Soul Mate, said the project carried special meaning for her.

A graduate of the Broadcasting and Anchoring School at the Communication University of China, she teasingly revealed at a promotional event in Beijing earlier this month that, despite majoring in broadcasting, she rarely had the opportunity to professionally showcase her voice work. She added that it marked the first time she had performed a voice role since her acting career began in 2008.