Shaun the Sheep Movie
| Industry | Animation, Film production |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bristol , United Kingdom |
Key people | Richard Starzak, Mark Burton (directors of Shaun the Sheep Movie) |
| Products | Animated films and television series |
| Website | www |
Shaun the Sheep Movie (also promoted as Shaun the Sheep: The Movie) is a 2015 animated adventure comedy created by Aardman Animations. The screenplay and direction were handled by Richard Starzak and Mark Burton. This film is adapted from the British television series Shaun the Sheep, developed by Nick Park and Bob Baker, itself a derivative work stemming from the Wallace & Gromit short film A Close Shave (1995). Featuring voice performances from Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, and Omid Djalili, the story centers on Shaun and his sheep flock as they venture into the city to find their farmer, who has lost his memory, all while avoiding capture by an overly zealous animal control officer.
The movie debuted on 24 January 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival, followed by its UK theatrical release on 6 February 2015, and later in the United States on 5 August 2015. It amassed $106.2 million globally, making it the ninth top-grossing animated feature of that year. Critics praised the film, which garnered nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and five nominations at the Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature. A standalone sequel titled A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon premiered on 18 October 2019, with a third installment, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, currently underway.
Plot
At Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun, a clever and playful sheep, grows restless with his routine life and tricks the farmer into falling asleep by counting sheep. Unexpectedly, the farmer’s caravan rolls away into the city where he suffers a head injury resulting in amnesia. Under the mistaken impression that he should shear sheep, he reinvents himself as a renowned hair stylist named "Mr. X."
Without their farmer, Shaun’s flock faces challenges, prompting Shaun to infiltrate the city. The rest of the flock follows him, disguised as humans. Shaun is apprehended by Trumper, an Animal Control officer, but manages to escape alongside Bitzer—the farmer’s loyal dog—and Slip, a stray dog. They locate the farmer; however, his memory loss prevents him from recognizing them.
Upon uncovering signs of his amnesia, Shaun and his flock devise a plan to help him return to sleep and recover his memory so they can bring him back home. After an intense encounter involving Trumper and a tractor careening toward a quarry, the farmer regains his recollection when he sees his reflection alongside the animals. Together they thwart Trumper’s efforts—who ends up humiliated and reassigned to promote a restaurant dressed as a chicken. Slip finds a new home through adoption, and the farmer declares an official day off from farm duties. Additionally, the animal control service transforms into an animal protection organization.
Cast
Source of character names unless indicated otherwise:
- Justin Fletcher voices Shaun, leader of the flock; also provides voice for Timmy, Shaun’s lamb cousin
- John Sparkes portrays both the Farmer/Mr. X and Bitzer, the farmer’s dog
- Omid Djalili plays Trumper, an Animal Containment officer
- Kate Harbour voices Timmy’s Mum and Meryl, a hairdresser
- Richard Webber as Shirley, a large sheep
- Tim Hands as Slip, a homeless dog
- Simon Greenall voices twin sheep characters
- Emma Tate as Hazel, member of the flock
- Jack Paulson as celebrity with hair issues
- Henry Burton as junior doctor and Animal Containment visitor
- Dhimant Vyas as hospital consultant
- Sophie Laughton as another Animal Containment visitor
- Nia Medi James as an operatic sheep
- Sean Connolly voices stylists and various roles including Maitre D and hospital staff
- Stanley Unwin as announcer at bus station and hospital
- Andy Nyman as Nuts, a sheep with unusual eyes
- Nick Park appears as himself
Production
Shaun the Sheep Movie was a collaborative production between Aardman Animations and StudioCanal, with additional financing from Anton Capital Entertainment. Development began by January 2011, with an initial target release window set for 2013 or 2014. Directors Burton and Starzak aimed to "push the sheep beyond their usual boundaries," situating the plot within an urban environment to broaden its appeal. Their approach emphasized endowing the characters with emotional complexity to foster stronger audience connection.
In alignment with the original television shorts, the film predominantly features minimal dialogue—a deliberate creative decision upheld despite early difficulties in crafting a feature-length narrative without spoken words. Backup options considered included incorporating a speaking human character or musical storytelling devices, but these alternatives were ultimately discarded to maintain the franchise’s distinctive style.
Initially slated for release on 20 March 2015, the premiere date was advanced to 6 February 2015. Principal animation and production work commenced on 30 January 2014.
Soundtrack
The score was composed by Ilan Eshkeri. The main theme, "Feels Like Summer," was a joint effort between Tim Wheeler of the rock band Ash, Ilan Eshkeri, and Nick Hodgson, formerly of Kaiser Chiefs. The soundtrack became available digitally in the UK on 1 June 2015 and was subsequently issued on CD on 29 June 2015 through Silva Screen Records. Although Frederic Chopin’s "Grand Valse Brillante in E-flat major" is featured within the film, it does not appear on the official soundtrack release.
Songs
- "Feels Like Summer" performed by Tim Wheeler
- "Rocks" by Primal Scream
- "Search for the Hero" by M People
- "Big City" by Eliza Doolittle
- "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers
- "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby" by Kid Creole and the Coconuts
- "Home" by Foo Fighters
- "House of Fun" by Madness
- "Shaun the Sheep - Life's A Treat (Rizzle Kicks Remix)" by Mark Thomas, Vic Reeves, and Rizzle Kicks
Theatrical release
The film made its debut at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on 24 January as part of the Sundance Kid selection. It received its UK theatrical release on 6 February 2015 through StudioCanal.
In the United States, distribution was handled by Lionsgate, with a release date of August 5, 2015. The promotional campaign included parody posters spoofing notable 2015 blockbusters such as Ant-Man (reimagined as Ant-Lamb), Minions (as Muttons), and Spectre (titled Shaun).
Home media
On 1 June 2015, the movie became available on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK via StudioCanal.
Critical response
By early 2018, Shaun the Sheep Movie ranked as the 21st top-rated animated film on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics commending its warmth, humor, and high-quality stop-motion animation. It holds an aggregate Metacritic score of 81 and earned a CinemaScore grade of "B+" from audiences.
Reviewers praised its universal appeal and innovative storytelling achieved without spoken dialogue. Inkoo Kang from The Wrap highlighted its pure entertainment value delivered through wordless humor suitable for all ages. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described it as “playful, absurd, and charmingly inventive,” reinforcing Aardman Animations’ esteemed reputation. Peter Keough of The Boston Globe applauded its visual comedy alongside silent-film style emotional depth.
Colin Covert from Minneapolis’ Star Tribune awarded four stars, lauding its craftsmanship in traditional stop-motion animation paired with effective humor. Guy Lodge from Variety called it “an absolute delight,” noting its sophisticated design despite modest scale.
Joe McGovern at Entertainment Weekly gave it an A− rating, emphasizing how animal sounds and visual gags succeeded over dialogue-driven storytelling. Jordan Hoffman of New York’s Daily News rated it four out of five stars for its purely visual narrative continuing Aardman’s legacy.
Bob Hoose of Plugged In offered a generally favorable critique, praising both style and story while expressing mild reservations about some juvenile humor elements; he summarized it as “active, witty, and just slightly sweet and heartfelt.”
Box office performance
Shaun the Sheep Movie generated $19.4 million domestically in North America and $86.8 million internationally, with $22 million contributed by the UK market, culminating in a global total of $106.2 million against a production budget of $25 million.
During its initial three-day opening weekend in North America, the film earned $4 million and reached $5.6 million over five days, placing 11th at the box office but falling short of the anticipated $7 million. It averaged $1,740 per screen across 2,342 locations. In its second weekend, revenue declined by 28.7% to $2.8 million, dropping to 12th place with an average of $1,220 per theater.
International markets
The UK release occurred on February 6, 2015, debuting with $3.1 million and ranking third behind Big Hero 6 and Kingsman: The Secret Service. Although it experienced a 16.2% decrease to $2.6 million in its second weekend, the film rebounded by 39.9% to $3.7 million during the third weekend while maintaining third position.
Additionally, on February 5, 2015, the movie opened in various countries including the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Serbia, Montenegro, Jordan, and Egypt, collectively earning approximately $182,000 during opening weekends.
Leading international territories outside North America comprised the UK ($22 million), Germany ($11.7 million), China ($8.7 million), France ($6.7 million), Australia ($5 million), Japan ($4.5 million), Spain ($3.1 million), Italy ($2.6 million), Switzerland ($2.2 million), and the Netherlands ($1.4 million).
Follow-up films
On September 14, 2015, StudioCanal revealed plans to partner with Aardman for a sequel.
By October 2016, Aardman announced that pre-production for Shaun the Sheep Movie 2 was set to begin in January 2017, with co-director Richard Starzak returning to helm the project. The sequel, titled A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, premiered in the UK on October 18, 2019, and was later released in the United States via Netflix on February 14, 2020.
A third installment named Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom was unveiled on May 7, 2025. Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker with scriptwriters Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow involved, it is slated for release in 2026 through Sky Cinema in the UK and distributed internationally by StudioCanal.