'The Sheep Detectives' Is 'Three Bags Full' of Quirky Fun

This week, Sophie and Rudi discuss one of 2026’s most surprising hits: “The Sheep Detectives,” Amazon MGM’s adaptation of Leonie Swann’s German murder mystery novel “Three Bags Full.” The family-friendly comedy, about a flock of sheep investigating the muder of their sheppard, stars Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, and a voice cast that includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Patrick Stewart, Brett Goldstein, and Bryan Cranston.Before talking about the movie, Rudi and Sophie share what else they watched and read recently: John Early’s new movie “Maddie’s Secret” (01:17) and the novels of author Emily St. John Mandel (04:17).Then they get into the background of “Three Bags Full” and the film (07:55) before breaking down the cozy mystery’s plot in a spoiler-filled chat (13:45) that explores the big differences between the book and the movie (25:26), why murder mysteries are having a moment (31:45), and the film’s surprisingly affecting exploration of grief (45:00).Finally, Sophie makes her choice (51:25) for which she liked better: reading "Three Bags Full" or watching “The Sheep Detectives.”It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays.Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpodTikTok: @itwasabookfirstYouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcastEmail: itwasabookfirst@gmail.comHosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi GreenbergEditing: Rudi GreenbergSocial media: Sophie VershbowMusic: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin PonsLogo: Trisha Louise PrietoWebsite: Kevin Pfab