Insights from Craig Mazin on “The Sheep Detectives”: Crafting a Unique Animated Whodunit

The story of The Sheep Detectives began as a German language novel in 2005 called Glenkill: Ein Schafskrimi (a sheep mystery thriller) by author Leonie Swann. Glennkill is the Irish village where George Glenn (Hugh Jackman) lived. It was translated into English by Anthea Bell as Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective story. The story is simple. When George is killed, his flock take it upon themselves to solve the mystery, where the local townsfolk failed.

Now, Craig Mazin, with a utility belt of screenwriting credits including The Hangover, The Last of Us and Chernobyl, plied his craft once again to write The Sheep Detectives. His first step was to focus on the book from the sheeps’ points of view to preserve both the comedy and emotional depth of the novel. He spoke with Creative Screenwriting Magazine to share his insights into the adaptation process of the beloved novel.

The Sheep Detectives is also a blend of genres. “It’s a comedy, a coming-of-age story, a murder mystery, and a detective story — but tone is what unites all those genres under one feeling: delight and love for the sheep,” Mazin remarks. “The comedy comes from how sweet and confused they are. The beauty comes from how wise they are. And the heart of the mystery comes from how much they love their shepherd — and each other — even when they frustrate one another.”

Meet The Sheep Detectives:

• Lily – the smartest one voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She’s methodical, loyal, and leads well.
• Mopple – the most patient one voiced by Chris O’Dowd. Some might say, the Wikipedia who records all the facts and remembers them.
• Zora – the most curious one voiced by Bella Ramsey. She provides comic relief and tug at your heartstrings.
• Cloud – the fluffiest one voiced by Regina Hall. She’s confident, unapologetic, and full of theories, most of them wrong.
• Ronnie & Reggie – the rowdiest ones voiced by Brett Goldstein. They are the ‘bash brothers’ who provide braun but no brain.
• Wool-Eyes – because George couldn’t think of a better name voiced by Rhys Darby. What he can’t see, he smells – including clues.
• Sir Ritchfield – the proudest and most dignified one voice by Patrick Stewart. He’s serious and finds humor in everything.
• The Winter Lamb – the outside voiced by Tommy Birchall. He’s judged for being different through no fault of his own.
• Sebastian – the loner voiced by Bryan Cranston. He’s the other winter sheep and never felt like he belongs in any flock

Craig Mazin. Photo by Gracie Newman

Knives Out Meets Babe

When it comes to pitching The Sheep Detectives as a succinct story idea to studios, Mazin reflects on the film’s origins and how he might frame it in today’s cinematic landscape. “I wrote this movie long before Knives Out, but if I were to do it today, I would probably say, Knives Out, but Babe.”

“Even when the producers first went around and pitched this story about ten years ago, they referenced Babe quite a bit because it’s that talking animal movie that took everybody by surprise. It was more than what you thought,” he comments.

Navigating the Adaptation Process: From Glenkill to The Sheep Detectives

Mazin clarifies, “I’m not sure that there’s a big change between Glenkill and Three Bags Full,” explaining that different titles were used in various regions for the same story. However, there were changes made while adapting it. The plot, and even the perpetrator, have been adapted in a different way for screen. He praises the original novel by Leonie Swan, stating, “Leonie had created this truly original concept, and those don’t come along very often.”

Mazin highlights the importance of extracting “soulful, important truths” from the story, emphasizing, “Only in a movie where sheep are solving a crime can certain elements happen.”

The film doesn’t diminish the book in any way despite its deviations. Mazin hopes that people read it after they see the movie, rather than the reverse as is often the case.

The screenwriter expresses gratitude that Swan appreciated the new expression of her work, noting, “Ms. Swan did watch the movie and she loved it. She was very upfront about how she likes that things can grow and adapt and evolve.”

Balancing Humor and Deep Emotion: Pairing Comedy with Drama

Mazin discusses the delicate balance of humor and emotion in The Sheep Detectives.

He asserts, “By trying to be honest, it’s important for those characters to be grounded enough during those scenes so that you understand that they will honestly be able to deal with their feelings as they arise.” With a focus on character depth, he mentions Lily, the hero, Sebastian, and the Winter Lamb, who face harsh truths while navigating their detective adventures. The sheep undertake a long journey of personal exploration as they discover that they aren’t just sheep that follow the crowd without fully understanding why. They step into their own potential beacuse they solved the actual crime.

He elaborates, “I generally follow the characters and allow them to experience things,” suggesting that genuine experiences naturally lead to comedic moments. “I am at my funniest when things are bad,” Mazin explains.

Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Juggling a Dense Cast: The Writing Process

Managing a large cast in any film can be complex, especially animated ones. Mazin describes the rigorous writing process that supported the film’s development, stating, “The first draft of the script is pretty much what the movie is.” He credits producer Lindsay Doran who has amassed decades of experience with his success in navigating this challenge. He says, “She would read every three pages and then we would discuss everything at length.”

Mazin highlights that every animated frame must serve a purpose due to the high cost of filming. “When you’re dealing with animation, every frame costs money. You just can’t afford to animate stuff that doesn’t need to be there.” Through solis collaboration and careful editing, Mazin successfully crafts an engaging narrative filled with memorable characters.

Rebecca Hampstead (Molly Gordon), Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holbrook-Smith), Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine) as Elliot Matthews and Beth Pennock (Hong Chau) Photo by Alex Bailey/ Amazon MGM Studios

So, whodunnit?

We can’t spoil the ending. Mazin confirms that he’s a student of Agathe Christie’s misdirection and her art of purposefully misdirecting the audience. She would lead the audience to where she wanted them to go without them realizing they’d been misled. “I’ve studied all of her moves and tried my best to create something that would keep people guessing and wondering, and yet be satisfying in the end. The mystery has to be a fair game. In theory, you should be able to solve it too, but not too easily.”

Unveiling the murderer comes down to three elements:

• motive
• opportunity
• newcomer

The sheep meticulously comb through all the clues to find the perpetrator that fits all three categories. And they succeed.

by Staff Writer

From our in-house editorial team.