More than two decades after Chicken Run first hit theaters, grossing over $220 million at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film ever, fans will finally get a chance to return to the farm when Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget releases onto Netflix this December. The long-awaited sequel will see the return of Ginger and Rocky as they settle into family life, and, as a newly released clip teases, await the hatching of a daughter named Molly.
Following its announcement back in 2018, Dawn of the Nugget entered pre-production in October 2019 before facing COVID-19 related delays. Thankfully, the wait is finally nearly over, as it was confirmed that the upcoming film had secured a release date of December 15, 2023. Picking up directly after the events of the first film, an official synopsis released by Aardman Animations reads:
Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream – a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk – this time, they’re breaking in.
Considering the massive box-office success and critical acclaim of the first film, it’s surprising that it’s taken this long for a sequel to materialize. Aside from delays accounted to the pandemic, one potential reason for the prolonged duration between films could be due to the partnership between Aardman and DreamWorks Animation coming to an end in 2006, following the release of Flushed Away. No matter the case, come December, everyone’s favorite feathered friends return for a new adventure, albeit with a largely different cast. The film’s leads of Ginger and Rocky will be voiced by Westworld‘s Thandiwe Newton and Shazam!‘s Zachary Levi respectively, replacing Julia Sawalha (Absolutely Fabulous) and Mel Gibson – Aardman confirmed the latter was not asked to return. Joining the pair is a star-studded cast including the likes of The Crown‘s Imelda Staunton, and The Last of Us‘s breakout star, Bella Ramsey. David Bradley steps in as the voice of Fowler following the death of Benjamin Whitrow in 2017.
Who Is Behind Dawn of the Nugget?
Taking the reins as director of the new film is Sam Fell (Flushed Away), while Paul Kewley is credited as producer. Co-founders of Aardman, Peter Lord and David Sproxton will serve as executive producers on the film. All veterans of stop-motion animation, the upcoming film is in safe hands to recapture the magic of the original 2000 hit.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will be released onto Netflix on December 15, 2023. Check out the new clip below
via Collider