A mystery-comedy film starring Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson is shooting in a Buckinghamshire village – but crews have become ‘frustrated’ after a lead actor ‘being ill’ put the brakes on filming. 

The Bucks Free Press has seen a document confirming that the production being filmed in Hambleden, a pretty village five miles outside Marlow, is the star-studded detective film Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie.

Hambleden Village Stores was temporarily closed yesterday (July 2) while crews shot in the area and though it is business as normal today, the village still bears remnants of its big-screen transformation – including a fake butcher shop and mock-up police station.

(Image: NQ)

Three Bags Full centres on the quirky premise of a herd of sheep outwitting a local policeman to solve the mysterious murder of their shepherd, played by Hugh Jackman, and also stars Emma Thompson, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon and Nicholas Braun.

Ramtin Epour, who lives in Henley but works in Hambleden, told the Free Press that crew members – still dotted around the village in high-vis jackets – had been tight-lipped since arriving a fortnight ago but had let slip that filming was being delayed after a lead actor became ill.

(Image: NQ)

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He said: “We heard rumours about a film being shot here around a year ago because someone came to scout out the location, and they’ve had big tents up in a field nearby for two weeks.

“They’ve been very good at warning us when we won’t be able to get into the village because of filming, and someone told me yesterday that the schedule has been pushed back a few days because one of the main actors is ill. 

“I don’t think the crew is very happy about it – they sounded a bit annoyed about the delay at the pub last night.”

(Image: NQ)

Tom Scruby, who has lived in Hambleden for 33 years and prides himself on having a finger on the pulse of local news, said he had been in communication with the production workers since they set up shop and found them to be “a lovely bunch of people”.

He added: “They’re not causing any problems and it’s a joy to have them here.”

According to Deadline, Three Bags Full will be released in cinemas on February 20, 2026.

Road closures will be in place throughout Hambleden and on Pheasants Hill from 7am to midnight between July 2 and 3, July 5 and 6, July 8 and 13, July 15 and 18 and July 23 and 25.