Take a cursory glance at The Sheep Detectives, with its all-star cast and murder-mystery plot, and you might be a little confused about who the movie is for. But experts in marketing to kids and families say Amazon MGM Studios’ approach has primed it for a strong kids and family box-office debut.

The film is based on a book that isn’t aimed at kids, and some of the marketing calls to mind the adult-oriented hit Knives Out. But this live-action comedy about a flock of mystery-loving sheep who set out to solve their shepherd’s murder is very much a kids movie. In fact, Amazon MGM’s strategies on this film can serve as a case study for the industry looking to break out with family films, says Maurice Wheeler, co-founder and CEO of research and marketing agency We Are Family.

Reviews for the movie are quite strong, and Box Office Pro expects it to gross between US$10 million and US$20 million during its opening weekend.

There aren’t many live-action family-friendly films coming out right now, especially ones not tied to big IPs, and that means films like The Sheep Detectives have a challenge that movies with a built-in audience like The Super Mario Bros. Movie don’t. That’s why the film is very deliberately aiming to capture both the kids and family demo. Amazon MGM put wool on bus stops and teamed up with bedding company Woolroom on a competition that’s giving out prizes like goody bags and even a getaway to a farm where kids can explore and take photos with sheep. Hugh Jackman, who stars in the film, even talked to CBC Kids News about what kids can learn from the movie.

With the cost of living so high, and a trip to the cinema such an expensive proposition for families, the marketing campaigns of kids films have had to evolve to capture the interest of parents, too, Wheeler says.

Go back 10 to 15 years, the core target demo of a family film—both the film itself and the marketing—was 80% kids and 20% parents, Wheeler says. Now it’s more like 50-50, or perhaps even skews slightly more toward targeting parents. Gone are the days when parents will pay to go see a kids movie even though they don’t think they’ll like it.

“I look at [the film] and go, ‘I think that could be quite good fun,'” Wheeler says. “And [parents won’t have a reaction like], ‘Okay, kids, you better enjoy this because I’m going to hate it.’ And I think that from an actual concept perspective, it has the right to do very well.”

There are plenty of other strategies that Amazon MGM has employed to make the film more accessible. It changed the film’s title from Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie, which certainly isn’t as straightforward as The Sheep Detectives, says Gary Pope, co-founder of Kids Industries, a kids research and creative agency.

“Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie, fuck off, that doesn’t make any sense,” he says. “[But] The Sheep Detectives, that name itself, that’s kid-focused. Alright, so I’m thinking, that’s like the Shaun the Sheep movie. And you look at the imagery and it’s like a live-action Shaun the Sheep.”

The film does handle more adult themes, like death and murder, but all signs in the marketing point to Amazon MGM having done a good job making sure it’s got a narrative that works for both parents and kids, Pope adds.

Kids are also now used to watching content that doesn’t talk down to them, like Stranger Things and Marvel movies, Wheeler notes. It also helps that kids like mysteries—a fact the industry has worked to mine through new detective shows for kids.

And significantly, Amazon MGM moved its release from November to Mother’s Day weekend, a clear sign it wants to deliver something for families. There were also advanced screenings earlier this month to build word of mouth, Pope notes.

The film’s kids and family appeal is strong enough that it drew Biggby Coffee to team up for its first-ever kids & family film partnership. Kids aren’t typically associated with coffee shops, but parents take their kids into shops like these all the time, Wheeler notes. And though the film might not reach the level of the major QSR partners like McDonalds, Biggby is still a good get, with more than 400 locations across 13 states, he adds.

For Biggby, the aim behind the team-up was to give families an unexpected and memorable experience, says Jaime Balazy, Biggby’s director of marketing. Biggby is hoping to do more partnerships like this in the future, and it’s especially interested in family-friendly brands that, like The Sheep Detectives, are about connection and imagination.

But will the same appeal that drew Biggby translate to box office success?

So far, the movie is doing all the right things to reach its audience, says Pope. The content rollout ahead of the film is a great example, including several featurettes, clips and trailers. The clips provide a “try-before-you-buy” approach to assure parents that the film is going to appeal to both them and their kids, says Pope.

Ultimately, it’s a challenge drawing in both kids and adults. But so far, The Sheep Detectives has shown it’s up to the task, says Wheeler. The film may not be popping out in We Are Family’s trend data in the way Mario does, but it’s got all the makings of a success.

The Sheep Detectives opens in theaters worldwide today.

Image courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios.