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

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

July 8, 2026 · 58 min · Episode 5

About this episode

Sophie and Rudi discuss the film adaptation of 'Three Bags Full' and its differences from the book.

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…

More episodes of It Was A Book First

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the It Was A Book First podcast page.