Contributor: Jesse Maier
Welcome to the newest installment of Lawyers Watching Movies. If you are interested in law and movies be sure to check out these blog articles:
Mr. Deeds Showing the Need For an Estate Plan.
Brewster’s Millions and Control From the Grave.
Help!!! My Sith Lord Died Without a Will.
Knives Out Movie Analysis (A look at the slayer statute).
Knives Out Movie Analysis (a look at the reading of the Will).
Reading of the Will (Round 2): The Sheep Detectives
The faithful reader of SW&L blogs may say, “Hey, they already talked about reading of the wills.” While true, as long as Hollywood keeps getting it wrong, we will keep writing blogs about it!
SPOILER ALERT: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Since we are on the subject, 2026’s The Sheep Detectives serves up another charming version of the same myth. The animated mystery-comedy (based on Leonie Swann’s novel Three Bags Full) follows a flock of unusually clever sheep in the English village of Denbrook whose beloved shepherd, George Hardy, is found dead one morning outside his trailer. Convinced the town’s bumbling constable will never crack the case, the sheep, led by a crime-novel-obsessed ewe named Lily, set out to solve the murder themselves.
The pivotal clue comes during, you guessed it, a “reading of the will.” Everyone gathers at the local inn while George’s attorney, Lydia Harbottle (which is a great name for an attorney), reads the document aloud to a room full of suspects: George’s long-lost daughter Rebecca; a nosy reporter; the local butcher; the innkeeper; a neighboring shepherd; the reverend; and even dialing in George’s estranged son from South Africa to attend remotely. The reading delivers the film’s big twist: the humble shepherd was secretly wealthy from selling the patent on a sheep medicine he invented, and a newly drafted will hands (stay tuned on potentially another blog on competing wills or undue influence) that fortune to Rebecca instead of to charity. In classic Hollywood fashion, the will reading exists to plant a motive and set the whole whodunit in motion.
It is a fun scene, but—just like Harlan Thrombey’s dramatic unveiling in Knives Out—it is not how any of this actually works. There is no formal “reading of the will.” In North Dakota, a will stays a private document until it is filed with the court for probate. Once filed, it becomes part of the public record, and anyone entitled to a copy—heirs, devisees, and creditors—can simply request one. No inn, no dramatic pause, and no attorney theatrically announcing a surprise heir over speakerphone. And if a real will reading unfolded the way George’s does, with the murderer sitting right there in the room, I would once again be glad to skip it (quick call back to the Slayer Statute blog here).
Conclusion
If you or a loved one needs help, it is essential to consult with an experienced estate planning and probate attorney who understands the specific laws in your jurisdiction. Contact the SW&L Estate Planning team at 701.297.2890 or email us at: info@swlattorneys.com.
This article is for informational purposes only and is subject to our disclaimer.
